


The World Outside Your Comfort Zone

by vriskabby



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Road Trip, Aux cord wars, Childhood Friends, Developing Friendships, Fluff, Friends to Enemies to Lovers, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Keith & Shiro (Voltron) are Adoptive Siblings, Lance is a disaster Bi, M/M, Memes, Mutual Pining, Rated M for eventual sexual content, Sharing a Bed, You bet your sweet ass Lance is gonna play Gasolina on repeat, keith is bad at feelings, lots of memes, passive aggressive road trip games, roadtrip au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-18
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-07-14 01:33:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 40,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16030250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vriskabby/pseuds/vriskabby
Summary: Childhood friends Lance and Keith haven't spoken in years after their falling out. Keith now spends most of his time alone, while Lance attends college with his friends. No one knows for sure what happened between them years ago, but what they do know is that it's left a scar on both of them that has yet to heal.So when Shiro overhears that Lance’s group of friends are in need of a fifth person to join them on their cross-country road trip this summer, he does what any respectable big brother would.He volunteers Keith.





	1. 6/13/18 Arlington, VA

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is gonna be super lighthearted and fluffy (I will fight myself if I manage to make this angsty somehow) and I'm very excited~! There will be lots of attempted humor, as well! ^^ Turns out being crammed into the back of a car for a week with the boy you like is a great way to bond!!
> 
> And don't worry, they'll get out of the car too. :) 
> 
> Without further ado, time for a good ol' fashioned road trip AU!

Pidge came out of nowhere, slamming a flattened palm onto the table where Lance sat with Hunk and Allura. The resounding slap caused Lance to shriek, fumbling to catch the sandwich that had slipped from his grasp.

“Bad news, kids.” Pidge held herself with purpose, despite her short stature.

“What the hell, Pidge!? I could've dropped my sandwich! Why can’t you ever just enter the conversation like a normal person.” Lance grumbled to himself as he realigned the food with his mouth.

“Where’s the fun in that?” She hopped up onto the table as if establishing dominance. Lance only rolled his eyes as he began to scarf down his food. He had spent the remainder of his bank account on this sandwich, so he would be damned if he wasn’t going to enjoy it.

“What’s going on, Pidge? What’s the bad news?” Hunk asked.

“Romelle just canceled on our trip. Something of a family emergency came up, and she’s not going to make it.”

Lance began to choke on his food, alleviated only by Hunk’s hands gently patting his back.  

“Oh, dear. That sounds serious. I hope everything’s alright…” Allura’s brows furrowed in concern.

Lance was concerned for her, sure, but he was internally grieving at the thought of their friend missing out on this once in a lifetime opportunity! They had this thing planned for months. Lance had painstakingly worked his ass off between classes to scrounge up his cut of the money, leaving him the picture perfect cliche of a broke college student. And it had been totally worth it!

“But! But! It’s Halsey, Pidge!” Lance groveled. “Y’know, my bisexual icon? My queen? My hero!? Plus… The tickets are non-refundable.”

“Why’re you telling me? I’m still going.”

Lance felt a hand rest upon his shoulders. “Hey man, it’ll be alright. We can ask around a bit and see if any of our other friends are interested. Don’t worry, the ticket won’t go to waste.”

Ah, Hunk. Ever the angel.

Lance sniffled a bit, collecting his rampant emotions. Traveling across the country with his best buds had been a dream of his since he was a child. It wouldn’t quite be the same without Romelle, but he was gonna live his dream one way or another. Traveling to California, the freedom of the road, the sights to see, all topped off with an amazing concert by one of his favorite singers? There was nothing that could possibly ruin that.

“Yeah… Yeah! You’re right Hunk!” Lance hoisted himself up, feeling a rush of energy.

“I usually am.” He beamed.

The group clamored to finish up their lunch, eager to search for their new victim.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Lance had been wrong. There was something that could possibly ruin his road trip. Something in the form of a black leather jacket, a bad attitude, and an even worse haircut.

“Absolutely not, Shiro!” Lance immediately interrupted the conversation his friends were having before him.

Hours after learning about Romelle’s situation, they had fully exhausted their options for finding a replacement. Everyone had an excuse not to go. Summer vacation only happens once a year, and in reality, it would be a lot harder to convince one of their acquaintances to surrender it to their shenanigans than they had originally thought.

Their group of friends was small and tight-knit. Outside of the five of them, none of them were particularly close to anyone else. There were a rare few, but even those people already had plans to return home for their vacation or were already enrolled in summer classes.

Even so, they made their rounds around campus, filed through their contacts for anyone remotely close to a friend, and had now arrived at their very last hope; Shiro.

Shiro was a perfectly fine option. They all got along great, he was smart, athletic, and would be a joy to have on the road. His little brother, however, was none of those things.

Keith Kogane. The name left a bitter taste in Lance’s mouth and a stutter in his chest. He had actually felt himself die a little inside when Shiro had even suggested him.

“Oh, come on Lance. Just because you have a stupid schoolgirl crush on Keith doesn’t mean he’s a bad option. At this point, I’m considering craigslist so let’s just count our blessings.” Pidge’s words caused Lance to recoil.

“Wha- No! I do not have a crush on Keith!” He did his best to sound convincing, but the crack in his voice wasn’t fooling anyone. His friends shared knowing glances and giggles that made Lance’s stomach turn.

Okay, so _maybe_ he had the ever so slightest tiniest little baby crush on Keith. Or had, at some point. Truthfully, he hadn’t seen Keith in years. The guy had dropped out of high school as soon as Junior year rolled around, and had been extremely reclusive ever since then.

Not that Lance cared or anything, he thought Keith was a self-centered jerk anyway.

Shiro fidgeted uncomfortably, and Lance was reminded that they were, in fact, talking about his brother.

“Oh. Uh, look, no offense Shiro, but if you try to cram Keith and I in a car together for a week, someone’s gonna end up getting murdered.” Lance paused thoughtfully, “Probably me.” He added for good measure.

Shiro’s stare softened, and he looked at the ground as if it held all the answers. Lance felt a pang of guilt. When they had come to Shiro, he explained that he couldn’t go with them because he would be volunteering for a summer camp for needy children. Lance couldn’t really argue with that, like, damn. However, he had developed a spark in his eye before proposing that Keith could go with them instead. It was such a laughable thought, and yet Shiro seemed so determined to make it happen.

“Listen, I’m gonna level with you guys. Keith is having some… issues, lately. I’m not saying you have to take him if you don’t want to, but... “ Shiro met their eyes once more, determined. “I think it would be really, really good for him. To get out of this town for a while, and make some friends. It’s your call.”

Shiro said that with full intentions of giving them a choice, surely. And yet, everyone went completely silent. No doubt that they all had the same thoughts on their mind as Lance; They didn’t want to disappoint Shiro.

I mean, come one, he’s such a nice guy. And he’s practically begging for them to take his troubled little brother off his hands for a just one week. It’s not like Lance wanted to, but how could he possibly say no to that? He’s not a monster!

Yeah, it’s just for Shiro.

“Shiro, please understand that none of us truly have a problem with him joining us. Lance simply likes to argue when it comes to Keith. We would be glad to have him, if he’ll come.” Allura smiled at Shiro, who visibly perked up in response.

“Hey, don’t analyze me!” Lance felt a compulsive need to protest her words. Huh, maybe Allura had a point.

“Yeah, I don’t have a problem with it. Pidge?” Hunk added.

“Sounds good to me.”

All eyes then fell to Lance, who realized he stood defensively with his arms crossed. A wave of defeat crashed over him, and he forced a sigh.

“...Fine. Keith is fine.”

“Oh? Glad you finally admit you think so, Lance.” Pidge teased. Lance flushed in response.

“Okay, that is not what I meant! Don’t make me change my vote.”

“Even if you did, you’d still be outnumbered.” Hunk laughed, and Lance felt utterly betrayed by his best friend.

“Not you too! Hunk!” He whined, draping himself dramatically over his friend.

“Guys…” Shiro interrupted their banter. Hunk paused the noogie he was currently giving Lance to give Shiro his attention. “Thank you, really. This means a lot.”

The genuine gratitude in his voice warmed Lance’s heart. Man, this guy’s smile was like sunshine. He couldn’t help but join in. He even managed to forget about the fact that he had really just agreed to travel across the country with…

Keith.

Oh, God.

Oh no.

He had made a terrible mistake, and it was all thanks to the stupid glimmer in Shiro’s eyes.


	2. 6/20/18 Arlington, VA

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"You can't wake up, this is not a dream_   
>  _You're part of a machine, you are not a human being_   
>  _With your face all made up, living on a screen_   
>  _Low on self-esteem, so you run on gasoline"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You bet ur sweet ass I'm gonna post Halsey lyrics as the chapter summary for every chapter. I'm gay asf and I would die for her. 
> 
> Wowie this chapter definitely turned out to be one of the crazier ones I've ever written. I promise this isn't a crack fic lmao. My friend and I stayed up until 3 am laughing while proofreading it though. Just keep in mind that this is all a big shock to Keith haha :)

“You all packed and ready to go?” Shiro stepped into Keith’s room, nearly tripping on the piles of black clothes strewn across the floor. He stopped abruptly after one look at Keith’s progress.

He had stuffed an old backpack with a week’s worth of shirts and underwear, along with exactly two pairs of pants. Shiro was clearly judging him, but he’d like to think he was saving space. He was in the middle of tossing in the last of his essentials; deodorant and toothpaste when Shiro had walked in, and he paused when he heard his older brother scoff.

“What? I’m a minimalist.” Keith defended himself as he zipped his belongings up, slinging the strap loosely around his shoulder.

“More like a survivalist.” Shiro chuckled, shaking his head. Keith only shrugged in response, making his way past Shiro.

“I guess. It’s not like grandma won’t have all the stuff I might need at her house anyway.” Keith reasoned. He noted Shiro’s strange silence as they made their way to the car.

They were heading out of state for the next two weeks for a wedding, or at least that’s what Shiro had told him just last week. Awfully last minute for a wedding, but he didn’t bother questioning it. He figured someone had mentioned it before and it had slipped his mind. He still had a hard time accepting this family as being his as much as it is Shiro’s after being adopted in his early teens.

They made their way through their cozy home, Keith lamenting the thought of leaving for so long. This was his haven. He was an introvert in every sense of the word. Wedding or no wedding, Shiro knew he was going to have a hard time prying Keith from his favorite place. The older man sighed when Keith stopped at the door frame. However, he wasn't being defiant, for once.

“Hold up, where’s _your_ stuff?” Keith questioned as he shot a look at Shiro. The car hadn’t been loaded up, and Shiro hadn’t grabbed any sort of bags on his way. There was no way he could've judged Keith’s packing job if he hadn’t packed anything at all.

“My stuff? Oh! Uh… Adam!” Shiro tripped over his words enough to warrant suspicion, but he cleared his throat and his thoughts before Keith could get a word in. “Adam has it. He came by earlier and picked it up already! We’re meeting him at… a place, later.”

Silence.

Keith glared at his older brother, almost positive he was up to something. He wasn’t a very good liar. However, there was a soft gaze meeting his that begged him to believe in him, and Keith found himself at his mercy.

“Oooookay, then.” Keith simply strode forward into the crisp morning air, tossing his bag into the car before pulling out his headphones. It was going to be a long drive to Missouri, or Mississippi, or wherever they were going. He felt the car shake as Shiro joined him from the driver’s seat, but he paid it no mind.

He immediately closed off his senses, ready to zone out completely to the sound of his favorite bands blasting in his ears. Shiro, as always, had other plans.

“Hey!” Keith practically squawked as one of his earbuds was forcibly yanked out. The car was already moving, driving down the road before Keith had even realized it.

“Nope. We’re not doing that today. You’re going to be social. Talk to me, buddy.” Keith groaned. Shiro was doing a great job putting on his best Dad Voice.

“About what!? The fact that I’m stuck in this shitty old car for the next day or two when I would much rather just chill at home? Or the fact that I have to go to a wedding I really couldn’t care less about and pretend to be happy for people I barely know?” Shiro instantly shot him a glare. “Eyes on the road.” Keith mocked Shiro’s earlier tone.

He obliged, but apparently, Keith was still in for a lecture.

“Keith…” Shiro struggled to find the words. “Sometimes… Sometimes in life, you have to do things you’d rather not do. But this doesn’t have to be a negative experience. I know home is great and all, but seriously, when was the last time you really went out and did something? Besides picking up groceries or a new video game? When was the last time you hung out with someone that didn’t live with you? When was-”

“Eugh! Enough!” Keith felt his temper boiling over as Shiro rattled on. He knew these things already. He had heard them a thousand times by now. There was no point in discussing it. He knows he is reclusive, but what does it even matter? It’s not like he was a goddamn joy to be around anyway. It was probably best for everyone that he shut himself in. No one had to deal with him that way… Except for Shiro.

He didn’t want to talk about this. It always made his head hurt.

His head bumped against the glass of the window as he stared outside. Trees, cars, people, houses all whirred by. He didn't care for any of them. That’s what he always told himself as he sat in dark rooms and stared at the monitor of his PC all night. That’s what he told himself when he sealed up his windows and locked his door so he could sleep peacefully all day. That’s what he told himself when he stared at the dark circles under his eyes in the mirror, long hair messy and skin pale.

He wasn’t like any average shut-in, though. He had a part-time job, he took good care of his hygiene, and he talked to some of his internet friends regularly. His way of life was perfectly fine, Shiro was just mean.

“You’re mean.” He voiced his thoughts, sighing against the window. He drew a sad face in the fog, exemplifying his brother’s meanness with pointed eyebrows.

“You know I just care about you.” Shiro laughed as he placed a hand on Keith's shoulder.

Of course Keith knew that. Shiro was probably the one person in the world that did care about him, and you know what? That was fine.

That made him perfectly happy.

“Sap.” Keith scoffed.

“Jerk.” Shiro pushed him lightly.

They traded nicknames for a few more blocks until eventually, the ride became a blur. They talked for a while about how school was going for Shiro, and Keith complained about his job in return. Keith didn’t know how much time had passed, but it couldn’t have been more than an hour before Shiro had quieted down their conversation. He almost seemed stressed. He pulled off the highway, going down a road Keith was entirely unfamiliar with. He let out a questioning noise, but his brother gave no explanation.

“Shiro?”

“...Keith?”

Okay, something was definitely going on. Keith immediately perked up to get a better read on the situation. Maybe Shiro popped a tire and didn’t want to say anything to freak Keith out. What he saw when he took in his surroundings was… unexpected.

The area off the exit was private, a quiet lot covered with trees. It was entirely empty, except for one shining SUV parked squarely in the middle of the overgrown parking lot. Keith recognized a few figures surrounding the car, loading it up with what seemed to be an ice chest and some bags. They looked like a group of campers or something. Which raised the question,

“Why are we here?” Keith asked, suspicious. His brother tensed up at the question. They pulled into the parking lot without an explanation, Shiro running a hand nervously through his white hair.

“Keith.” He began unsteadily.

“Shiro!” Keith began to shift in his seat, before being held in place by one of Shiro’s irritatingly strong arms.

“You’re gonna hate me for this. But please, just know, I’m doing this because I love  you.”

Keith’s mind went into absolute overdrive at that statement. He felt a prickling sense of panic as his mind raced through all of Shiro’s strange behaviors throughout the day. He was still unsure of the situation until he glanced back over at the lone vehicle in parking and lot and saw it. Or rather, _him._

_Nope. Nope nope nope nope._

“Turn the car around. Take me home, now.” Keith’s voice strained, and yet, their car kept rolling closer to the SUV. “Shiro, you don’t understand. Whatever this is, cancel it! Abort! Go back! It’s… I-It’s Lance.”

His brother has no mercy as Keith squirmed out of his seatbelt, sliding down the seat as if he was melting. He needed to hide himself. He couldn’t let Lance see him.

_OhGodohfuckohGod he’s looking this way!_

“I know.” Shiro sighed, grabbing Keith by the collar and pulling him back up. “Keith, I know this is a lot to take in, but I need you to listen to me.”

Keith only half-heard whatever Shiro was saying as the car squealed to a stop. He couldn’t possibly focus on anything his brother was saying when Lance fucking McClain was staring right at him. So much for avoiding eye contact.

“I have good news and I have bad news, Keith.” Shiro’s voice had settled, the polar opposite of Keith’s nerves.

“Shiro. Shiro, he’s looking at me. Shiro, what do I do?” Keith rambled, realizing he sounded like he was pinned down by a wild animal. His self-preservation instincts seemed to kick in as he immediately unbuckled himself. He would walk home if he needed to.

“Keith, listen dammit!” Shiro grabbed his arm before he could escape. A mix of panic and irritation set in as he realized Lance was still watching him, big blue eyes wide and mouth agape.

“What the _fuck_ is going on!?” Keith grit his teeth, tearing his eyes away from the painfully familiar gaze.

“Can you just calm down and let me explain already?” Shiro raised his voice, and Keith was snapped out of his alarm. Why the hell was he even freaking out? He hadn’t seen Lance in years. It’s just Lance.

It’s just Lance.

“Like I said, I have good and bad news.” Shiro began, sensing Keith’s attention finally focused on him. “The good news is, you don’t have to go to a wedding you don’t care about.” Keith raised his eyebrows. “The bad news is, you’re not gonna like the idea of what you’re doing instead.”

“What the hell are you talking about, old man!?”

“I’m twenty-five!”

“That’s not the issue!” Keith began to glance over the parking lot. He was surprised to see a bundle of familiar faces. Allura, Pidge, and Hunk, all people he knew by name but had never really held a conversation with before; a consequence of going to the same high school together.

“You’re going on a road trip, Keith. With them.” Shiro finally spit it out, only for Keith to immediately want him to spit it back in. The words left him speechless as Shiro continued. “From what they’ve told me, it’ll be a week getting to California. Once you’re there you’ll stay a few days for a concert by some singer, Hailey, I think. Then you’ll be heading back home. It’ll be good for you, Keith. I’m sure you’ll all become good friends and-”

“Woahwoahwoah! Slow down! I never said I was even _going._ You can't just decide that for me.” Keith attempted to open the door, but Shiro was one step ahead, swiftly hitting the power lock.

“You will. Because…” Shiro softened his grip on Keith. “Because it would mean a lot to me, okay? If you would just try.”

Keith growled in frustration. Shiro hit his weak point, the bastard. Keith’s gaze dared to flicker out the window once more. Lance stood firmly in the same spot, still watching the two of them. The others began to take notice as well, giving a range of uncertain looks. He looked back and forth between his brother and the group of strangers. This was so unfair. If Shiro was going to guilt him into this, he needed retribution.

“Fine. But I’m not going to like this. And I’m so sure I’m not going to like this, that when I get back and tell you that I, in fact, did not like this, you owe me a year’s worth of McDonald's whenever I want it. Deal?” Keith resigned himself, offering up his hand. Shiro released him, smiling brightly as he clasped their hands.

“Deal.”

He hadn’t anticipated he would be selling his soul for McDonald's today, yet here he is.

With how confidently Shiro grasped his hand, Keith was almost convinced that he might actually enjoy this trip. Almost.

But he knew that wouldn't be the case. He drudged out of the car, grabbing his backpack and doing his best to seem unaffected by the flurry of events. This was not how he was expecting today to go; not by a long shot. Especially as he grew gradually closer to Lance. He honestly thought he would never see him again, let alone like this.

The boy wore an unreadable expression. He looked good. His skin was clear, lightly freckled, and he was taller now. Keith shook his head, escaping the thoughts. It didn't matter how he looked when-

“Long time no see, Mullet. You look like shit.”

...When his personality was ass.

“Thanks. Who are you, again?” Keith feigned ignorance, and Lance sputtered.

He turned to Shiro, gesturing towards the tall, lanky boy as if to say ‘I told you so.’ He could already tell this was going to be the longest two weeks of his life, but goddamn if he wasn't going to enjoy redeeming those endless nuggets when he got home. Shiro was absolutely about to go into debt to feed his McDonalds addiction. He couldn't wait.

“Ugh, I’m so sorry, Keith.” A softer, feminine voice called out to him, as the owner of the voice shoved Lance aside to face him. “Please, don’t mind him. He’s in a mood because we drew sticks for the aux cord and he didn't get first. Oh! I’m Allura. It’s a pleasure to meet you!” She offered him a hand, bright and bubbly personality almost overwhelming Keith. He stared down at the hand as if unsure what to do with it.

Shiro nudged him, and he jumped to shake her hand. The other two semi-strangers bumbled to her side shortly after. The small one introduced themself as Pidge, and the larger one was Hunk. He nodded sheepishly at the both of them. They already knew his name, apparently, so he didn't bother introducing himself.

Lance didn’t bother with introductions, either.

Eventually, the talking and excitement died down, and everyone had loaded their bags up. They stood in a circle, all sharing looks that Keith didn’t understand.

“So, if everything is in order, I’ll be taking off now.” Shiro broke the silence. He carried himself like a father dropping off his son for his first day of kindergarten. Keith rolled his eyes. True to his image, he gave Keith a firm pat on the back and left him with the parting words, “Play nice, Keith.”

Keith wanted to cuss him out, but he reined it in due to the fact that there were four pairs of eyes staring at him currently.

Lance seemed to redirect the attention to himself with an overly-excited howl. “Alright! It’s happening. Oh my God, I’m so excited!” Keith eyed him as he jumped around like a maniac, but the others seemed just as hyped up somehow. Keith didn’t really get it. What was even fun about a road trip? It was just a more inconvenient way to travel. The concert might be fun, sure, but the trip there?

“C’mon, dude. You’re killing my vibe!” Lance pointed at Keith, who stood with his hands on his hips and a straight face as the others chattered amongst themselves. He couldn't help but feel out of place in such a strange environment, and of course, Lance was here to point him out.  

“It’s just driving. I don’t see why I should be yelling.” Keith explained. Lance shook his head furiously.

“Just driving? Dude, seriously?” Lance frowned as Keith’s only response was a shrug. “It’s way more than that! It’s hanging out with good friends, seeing amazing sights, bonding together as a family!” There were stars in his eyes. Keith didn’t respond.

“Oh! I know! Let’s do a cheer to get you pumped up!” Lance suggested.

“Okay?” Keith narrowed his eyes.

“Alright; I say ‘Road,’ you say ‘Trip!’ Road!” Lance pointed to Keith expectantly, and Keith was left utterly confused.

“Uh. Road… trip?”

“...Dude.”

“So, uh… are we going any time soon?” Hunk asked. That seemed to jolt Allura back into focus. She seemed to be leading the operation here, as she checked over everything once more. There were no more bags or chests that needed to be loaded up, so she gave a nod.

“Yes. Seems like we’re good to go! How exciting.” Allura announced, spurring the others to action.

“Shotgun!” Lance ripped his glare away from Keith long enough shout at Allura. Hunk immediately piped in.

“Nope. Uh-uh. Vetoed. Pidge is the navigator. We already established this. If Lance is sitting up front, I am _not_ driving. We will get so lost” Hunk adamantly refused, and Keith couldn’t help but snort. Lance’s glare returned.

“What’re you laughing at!?” He stuck out his lip in a pout.

Ugh, why did he have to be cute?

“Lance, just get in the back seat.” Allura asked politely, and he unhappily grumbled.

The group began to pile into the spacious SUV, Hunk taking the wheel, Pidge taking shotgun. Allura climbed into the back, followed by Lance. Wait…

Keith stared at the only empty seat left in the car. Lance seemed to have the same realization, looking back and forth between Keith and the seat by his side.

Whatever. This might as well happen.

He kept his composure as he slid into the seat, unable to avoid bumping up against Lance’s side. He internally screamed. The door slammed shut, and the engine revved to life.

It suddenly hit Keith that this was all really happening as the four of them began to chatter excitedly, pulling out of the parking lot and heading back towards the highway. He was really in an SUV full of mostly strangers right now, leaving the safety of his hometown to travel across the country to California of all places. And now, there was no going back. Was it too late to tuck and roll? Would that be weird?

He was so lost in his own thoughts he hadn’t noticed Lance was speaking to him until he felt a sharp elbow poking into his ribs.

“Don’t ignore me, jerk.” Keith jumped from how close Lance was. His words were as harsh as ever, but he spoke them much more softly.

“Huh? Oh, sorry, what?” Keith decided to be civil if Lance would too. Maybe he was as mature as he was tall now. Age does that to people, after all.

“I said when did you get these?” Lance mimed pinching his ears.

“My piercings?” Keith grabbed at his ears, feeling the rough studs. Lance nodded, seeming genuinely interested. “Uh, I don’t know. About two years ago?” Lance hummed thoughtfully. Keith doesn’t know what possessed him to continue, but he did.

“My tongue is pierced too.” He watched Lance’s eyes widen at his statement.

“Woah! Didn't that hurt? Show me! Show me!” Lance leaned closer to Keith, and he felt the need to shove him back with his arm.

“No way.”

“Why not!? Is it cause you’re lying?” Lance teased.

“No, it’s cause I don’t want you staring into my mouth, you freak.” Lance reddened, and Keith pushed him away without resistance this time. Pidge snorted loudly from the front, and Lance kicked the seat.

Allura began to chastise them about roughhousing in the car before they all joined in to banter with each other. Watching them like this, Keith felt like he was looking in at something he had no business seeing. They all poked fun at each other and laughed so genuinely. They knew each other so well, and it showed.

Keith turned away, opting to stare at the trees passing by outside. He had just ended up here by some insane circumstance. He had no place in their conversations, nor did he even really want a place. These weren’t his friends.

Keith was broken from his thoughts as he vaguely heard his name, and turned back to face the group.

“Huh, what’d you say?”

“I said it’s your turn to pick the music.” Lance repeated. Keith grew confused.

“I thought you guys picked straws or whatever.” He responded, breaking his gaze away from Lance. He couldn’t handle staring so directly at him, it was weird. One second you think you’ll never see someone again and the next you’re sitting exactly zero inches away from them for the next two weeks. It was giving him whiplash.

“We did! And we drew yours first!” Pidge whirled around to join them, offering a white cable for Keith to take.

He hadn’t realized that they had even included him in that game at all. He certainly didn’t expect them to. The sentiment was nice, but as Keith took the cable he realized this would mean actually sharing his music. With a car full of people. That he didn't know. He listened to mostly heavy metal music, with some admittedly cringey alternative bands from the 2000s mixed in. He suddenly felt sick.

“Thanks, but I’m good.” He declined the offer, earning a quizzical look from Pidge. They asked if he was sure, and he assured them he was.

“Sweet! That means it’s my turn, baby!” Lance lurched forward to claim the cord. Looks like he got to go first, after all. Good for him. Though, everyone else in the car groaned for some reason.

 

* * *

 

 

Keith regretted ever thinking that Lance had become mature.

It was cute the first time.

Vaguely funny the second time.

But by the seventh time Keith heard the opening chords of "Gasolina" by Daddy Yankee, he was seeing red. Pidge’s hands covered her face, Allura was banging her head against the window, Hunk was desperately trying to focus on weaving through the traffic, and Lance. Lance was just fucking dancing. He was swinging his arms around like wet noodles, hollering along to the lyrics that Keith couldn’t understand, but hated anyway.

Keith bit down on his lip as Lance continuously bumped around between him and Allura. He desperately thought of Shiro’s parting words.

_Play nice, Keith._

_Play nice._

“Sing it with me, guys!” Lance interjected before the chorus began for what felt like the thousandth time.

“I don’t think I could even if I wanted to…” Pidge grumbled miserably.

_A ella la gusta la gasolina_

_“Dame m_ _á_ _s gasolina!”_ Lance bellowed.

“Ugh, Keith, you should’ve just took one for the team and played your music, man.” Hunk sounded like he was on the verge of tears.

_Como le encanta la gasolina_

“How much longer can this possibly go on…” Allura sounded as desperate as the rest of them to escape this hell.

_Dame más gasolina!_

“Hang tight kids! This playlist has at least two more hours worth in it!”

_A ella le gusta la gasolina_

“I’m gonna kill him…” Keith could barely contain his rage, and Lance stiffened beside him.

_Dame más gasolina!_

“Guys! Did you hear that!? I freakin’ told you I was gonna die if he came along! Guys!” Lance squeaked, leaning into Allura for shelter.

_A ella encanta la gasolina_

“Ugh, Lance!” Allura shoved him away, and just as Lance crashed against his shoulder he swore the next time he heard the word ‘Gasolina’ he was going to snap.

_Dame más gasolina!_

“Eugh! That’s it!” Keith growled, gripping Lance’s shoulders and throwing him backwards. Hunk swerved in surprise and everyone in the car let out a shriek, except for Keith. He focused on yanking the phone away from Lance. He was ending this, no matter the cost.

“Hey! Hands off!” Lance yelped, pushing a palm against Keith’s face. Undeterred, he yanked the cord out of the phone, ending the song abruptly. Lance was getting on his last nerve. Unfortunately, Lance didn’t let it end there.

“Dude, fuck off!” Lance pushed Keith back, and then there was no going back. A flurry of limbs and they were shoving each other back and forth, grunting and barking obscenities at each other. He felt a balled up fist connect with his face several times in the fray. It wasn't hard enough to bruise, but it roused Keith even further. He grabbed the hem of Lance’s shirt, ready to strike him back.

“Okay. That’s it. I’m pulling over!” Hunk jerked the car, causing Keith to fall forward onto Lance.

Allura stepped in as Lance pushed Keith once again, holding him back before he lunged himself onto Keith once again.

“Stop it, you two!” She shouted with enough force to startle them apart. The two of them panted as they glared at each other. Keith felt the car grind to a stop. His rage subsided, and reality slapped him in the face almost as hard as Lance had.

Car doors opened around them, and everyone else filed out of the SUV. Keith and Lance shared an identical look. In that moment, he was sure they shared the same thought as well.

_We fucked up._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize it doesnt actually take a week to drive from virginia to california, but these kids are going to be making a lot of stops, so it actually will be taking them that long lol. More on that later~
> 
> PS You know i had to make the obligatory 'vol...tron?' joke lmao


	3. 6/20/18 ???, MD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"Oh, all these minutes passing, sick of feeling used_   
>  _If you wanna break these walls down, you’re gonna get bruised_   
>  _And now my neck is open wide, begging for a fist around it_   
>  _Already choking on my pride, so there's no use crying about it"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for the comments and kudos! I really appreciate it like wow

The car was much quieter now, with Allura sitting between Keith and Lance in the back; a physical barrier to prevent further incidents.

The two boys sat in a mirrored stance; arms crossed tightly across their chest, staring with a scowl out the window.

No one bothered to talk much about what had happened. Allura had assured Keith that they weren’t mad, which Keith had scoffed at. How could they be mad when he had ended Lance’s reign of terror over the aux cord? Keith didn’t understand.

Regardless, he appreciated Allura the most out of the group so far. If he was going to survive this trip, he decided, he would stick close to her.

The Aux Cable Wars had been brought to an end via a peace treaty made by Allura, after all. ‘No music for the next two hours.’ And no more Gasolina, either. They accepted the terms, mostly because they feared the consequences of making Allura any more frustrated than she already was.

Keith refused to look at Lance anymore. From the corner of his eye, he could tell that the taller boy was being just as stubborn as he was. His arms were tightly laced across his chest, and he huffed a sigh every few minutes as he stared out his passenger window.

With only the sounds of the tires humming across the road, someone occasionally clearing their throat, and the engine occasionally chirping, Keith started to get extremely bored. He pulled out his phone.

 **_11:45 AM - Keith:_ ** _this sucks. u suck. everyone hates me. I hope ur bank account is prepared for the sheer amount of McDonalds ur gonna owe me._

 ** _11:46 AM - Shiro:_** _Keith :( Why are you texting me? Socialize1!!_

 **_11:47 AM - Keith:_ ** _yeah no i just tried that and lance and i almost got into a fistfight._

 **_11:48 AM - Shiro:_ ** _This is why we cant have nice things._

“Take this exit.” Pidge had been continuously being the only one to break the silence with her occasional directions. Keith was reminded that this silence was mostly his fault. If he wasn’t here, he’s sure they would all still be cheering and yapping excitedly. It had only been about three hours and he’d already ruined everything. A new record, perhaps?

 **_11:50 AM - Shiro:_ ** _Talk to me bro. What happened?_

 **_11:51 AM - Keith:_ ** _lance was asking for it_

 **_11:51 AM - Shiro:_ ** _Keith._

 **_11:52 AM - Keith:_ ** _omg how did u just do that??_

 **_11:52 AM - Shiro:_ ** _Do what?_

 **_11:52 AM - Keith:_ ** _u just used the Dad Voice over text_

 **_11:53 AM - Shiro:_ ** _Im gonna kick your ass! I do not have a dad voice! But seriously tell me what happened._

 **_11:55 AM - Keith:_ ** _ughhh lance was playing gasolina nonstop cuz he thinks hes fucking hilarious so i tried to take the aux cord away but he pushed me so i pushed him back and long story short im pretty sure im in time out right now_

 **_11:55 AM - Shiro:_ ** _…_

 **_11:56 AM - Shiro:_ ** _Please tell me you apologized._

 **_11:57 AM - Keith:_ ** _hell no_

 **_11:58 AM- Shiro:_ ** _Keith. Apologize. Now._

Keith rolled his eyes and shoved his phone back into his pocket. Shiro didn’t understand how much he did not want to apologize right now. But…

He glanced at everyone’s tense and tired faces once again. He couldn’t help but feel bad for them. Not Lance. But them.

“Guys… Uh, listen.” Keith garnered surprise from everyone as soon as he spoke. Shiro was right and he knew it; he was man enough to admit that.

“I’m sorry about earlier. I might’ve… overreacted a bit. You guys can talk. I’m not gonna fly off the handle or anything.”

At that, Lance immediately opened his mouth, probably to say something smartass, but Allura was quick to muffle his speech with her hand.

“Thank you for apologizing, Keith, but you shouldn't feel too bad. Lance was kinda asking for it.” Hunk chuckled, keeping his eyes on the road.

Keith could hear a muffled _‘Hey!’_ try to escape from Lance’s throat.

“Well, apology accepted. It’s totally fine.” Pidge perked, turning to smile at Keith as she spoke. Allura also nodded in approval.

Keith didn’t know why they were so forgiving, but he was silently grateful. At least things might be less awkward now.

“So, where are we heading now, by the way?” Keith found himself asking questions, realizing he knew so little about the situation he was in.

“Oh, yeah! I forgot to explain the game plan to you, Keith. My bad.” Pidge pulled out a piece of folded paper from her pocket, unfurling it to show Keith. It was a crude but charming map of the USA, with a dotted line marking their pathway. Lots of math was scribbled onto the bottom of the page, complicated equations that Keith wasn’t even going to attempt to understand. Several X’s and O’s lined the path, and Pidge pointed a finger to the first X.

“This is Swallow Falls State Park. It’s our first stop! It’s also our first lodging since we’re allowed to camp there.” Keith’s interest was piqued. He was surprisingly outdoorsy, despite his lifestyle. He hadn’t realized a road trip could entail activities other than rotting in the backseat of a car for hours on end. Pidge continued down the dotted line.

“After that, we’re heading towards Columbus, Ohio where we’ll stop and sleep for the night. Then the next day, right back on the road again towards Indianapolis!”

“Usually, we would just stop at whatever cheap motel is in the area, but I actually splurged on a nice hotel for this one. Y’know, so we can explore the city a bit.” Hunk chimed in, glowing with anticipation.

“That… actually doesn’t sound too bad…” Keith was surprised when he heard how absorbed in their words he was becoming. Lance muffled something else before he began desperately pleading with Allura to release him. No luck.

“Yeah!” Pidge’s eyes lit up as she continued. “Oh! Oh! Oh! Then, we’re going to see the World’s Largest Wind Chime! That’s gonna be my favorite stop! I’m so pumped.” Pidge’s energy was filling the car as a dorky smile crossed her face. Keith couldn’t help but laugh.

“The largest wind chime, huh?” Keith politely feigned interest, but it seems he was the only one who put in the effort. Everyone else groaned.

“Hey, screw you, haters! This is a marvel of engineering that I’m going to see with my own two eyes whether you like it or not!”

“Dontcha mean ‘four eyes?’ Hah… Sorry…” Hunk joked, but then immediately felt guilty. It got Allura laughing, though, so there was that.

 _“Anyways,”_ Pidge drawled out the word dramatically, turning back to Keith. She pointed at the next mark. “After that amazing sight, we’re gonna have one hell of a ride to Springfield, Missouri. Six whole hours. We’ll pass out as soon as we get there, I’m sure.”

Keith paled, already dying inside at the thought of being trapped in a car with Lance for six straight hours.

“The next morning, before we leave Springfield, we’re gonna visit the Fantastic Caverns for a bit, then head out towards Arizona.”

“Yikes. Keith, if you’re cringing at the thought of a six-hour drive, wait until you hear this one.” Hunk sounded exhausted just thinking about it.

Oh no.

“Ehh, yeah this one will be our longest stretch of time for sure. But Hunk can handle it, right buddy?”

“This little demon has me scheduled for a fifteen. Hour. Drive.”

Whatever remained of Keith’s soul was surely shattered now.

“It’s doable, okay!? I told you this is the most efficient way to it. You can trust my math, dude. Just get plenty of sleep and it’ll be a non-issue.” Pidge rushed to defend herself. It’s true that a fifteen-hour drive can be done, but it certainly won’t be easy. Keith was speaking before he thought.

“I can help, if it makes it easier.”

Hunk briefly glanced over his shoulder, giving Keith a look so pure and full of gratitude.

_Oh God, what did I just volunteer for?_

“Whatever. We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. Anyways, we’ll be settling down for the night in Sun Valley. And I bet you can guess what our next stop will be.” Pidge looked at Keith expectantly.

Keith had no idea. He had never done, nor ever planned to do, anything like this before. This was uncharted territory, and he still wasn't sure if he was entirely okay with it.

Lance began to shout excitedly, still muffled until Allura made a disgusted noise and yanked her hand away.

“Lance! You’re spitting on me!” Allura wiped her hand offendedly on his jacket. He quickly apologized, before his excitement resumed.

“The Grand Canyon, baby! A staple of any good road trip. God, it’s gonna be great.” Lance seemed to have forgotten any sort of negativity he had been harboring, springing forward to high-five Pidge.

“Oh. Cool.” Keith shrugged. It was just a giant hole in the ground. He didn’t see the hype.

“‘Cool?’ It’s way more than cool! It’s like, a wonder of the world, or something!” Lance exclaimed. Keith opted to just ignore him.

“Anyways,” said Pidge. “After that, we’ll stay the night in Boulder City, Nevada, before one more long drive to Los Angeles. We’ll stay there until the concert is over and then head back the next day. The ride home will be a lot shorter. But it’s all perfectly calculated, including margin of error, so we should be on time no matter what.”

It seemed that her explanation was over, so Keith nodded to show he had been paying attention. Pidge looked at him with wide eyes, as if waiting for questions. Come to think of it, he did have one. A pretty big one, too.

“So, why did you guys decide to drag me along, then?” Keith wondered aloud. Everyone took turns sharing glances before turning back to him.

“Well, originally, our friend Romelle was coming with us, but she canceled at the last minute due to unforeseen circumstances.” Allura began. “We asked around a bit, including Shiro, who suggested that we take you. We weren’t going to tell you since we didn’t want you to feel like a second choice or anything. We’re glad you’re here, really! Everyone has their roles to play in this trip, and everyone is important!”

Suddenly, things made a bit more sense. He was just filling an empty spot. Allura did her best to make it seem like they gave a shit about him, but he didn’t really buy it.

Well, if all he had to do was fill space for a week or two, he could manage.

“Yeah! Like- I’m the navigator! Hunk, he’s our driver, and Allura is Team Mom!” Pidge nervously bumbled.

“Then what am I?” Lance chimed in. Keith bit his tongue, making a silent vow not to talk to Lance the rest of the trip.  

“You’re our comic relief of course.” Pidge smirked at the boy, before being swatted at by Lance, protesting his role.

_And I’m just here._

Keith tried not to dwell on the fact that they had skipped over him too long.

The car quickly returned to its previous state of loud chatter, laughter, and music. This time, Allura was in charge of the aux cord. She played a mixture of popular songs from this decade and well-loved classics from the past. Keith even perked up a bit when he heard the opening notes of “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey.

The other immediately launched into a karaoke battle, belting out the words _“Just a small town boy”_ as soon as the line came up. They were loud and off-key. It ruined the song a bit, but they all seemed to be enjoying themselves. Keith just continued to stare out his window as the song ballad progressed, battling a growing headache.

He checked his phone once again. He had missed Shiro’s last text.  

 **_12:22 PM - Shiro:_ ** Just keep me updated okay? I’d like to hear from you at least once a day to make sure you’re okay.

Keith snorted a bit. Of course he wanted daily reminder texts that Keith was still alive.

 **_12:45 PM - Keith:_ ** Day 1: Time elapsed; 2 hours and 43 minutes. We are currently in the middle of Bumfuck, Nowhere. There are no signs of intelligent life around. I crave McDonalds. Will report back tomorrow.

Keith pressed send, only to have message rejected. No reception.

Keith looked out the window briefly, sighing as he realized they were surrounded by nothing but trees now, miles out from the nearest town.

The chorus of the song approached, and Keith felt an arm come to drape itself across his shoulders. He jolted in surprise, watching as Allura did the same to Lance.

 _“Strangers! Waiting!”_ Everyone sang the words as Keith felt himself being swayed back and forth. He actually felt laughter bubbling up at how ridiculous they must look. Allura looked at him with a wide grin as he began to snicker.

_“Streetlights! People!”_

“Sing with us, Keith!” Allura nudged him, working hard to be heard over the boisterous singing from the others. Keith hesitated before the catchy lyrics began to take over.

 _“Livin’ just to find emotion,”_ Keith sang much more quietly than the others, but Allura was still absolutely elated. _“Hidin’ somewhere in the n-”_

“Niiiiiiiightttt~!” Lance belted out the note louder than anyone else. Keith was surprised to hear that he wasn’t as tone deaf as the others. He wasn’t going to tell him that, though. He laughed harder, his tense muscles loosening without even realizing.

The third verse began, and the singing did not slow down. Keith was so enraptured by the swaying and laughter he forgot that he was supposed to be mad at Lance. He watched the boy completely steal the show, absurd dancing and crooning making his face hurt from laughter.

In the back of his mind, a small thought crept up; He was having fun.

As if to fight the idea, he broke his eyes away from Lance to stare out the window once again. He felt his face heat up. Allura hadn’t noticed when he was no longer singing the next chorus, eyes trained on the hundreds of trees that pass by endlessly.  

There was no reason he should be having fun. Lance was here, and Lance sucked. These people weren’t his friends. He was just a substitute. Besides, he had a point to prove to Shiro. He would be damned if he was gonna give his brother the satisfaction of saying ‘I told you so.’

He realized forcing himself to have a bad time was immature, but he didn’t care. He didn't want to get attached to people who would just forget about him as soon as the weeks were up.

He didn’t want to get left behind, as always.

They can't leave if you don’t let them in.

 _“Don’t Stop! Believin’!”_ Keith only smiled politely as the others posed dramatically as they sung the lyrics.

Keith felt the car jerk slightly, an intrusive noise began repeating from the engine.

“Hunk! This is the best part, don’t ruin it!” Lance whined, craning his neck to glare at the driver.

“I-I’m not! That wasn’t me, that was-”

They shrieked in surprise as the car sputtered again, and Allura immediately cut the song off.

“What was that?” Pidge asked apprehensively, small hands clutching tightly at her seatbelt.

“Well, that doesn’t sound good…” Allura leaned forward in her seat.

_Yeah, no kidding._

The engine began to struggle, stammering and giving a range of concerning noises. It was becoming clearly unsafe when Hunk began to struggle at the wheel. He jerked the wheel into place, struggling to steady the vehicle.

It almost sounded like the car was about to break down.

“The car is breaking down!” Hunk declared.

“Pull over, Hunk!” Pidge shouted, and Hunk nodded nervously. There was a repeating sound similar to a ticking clock coming from the car as they slowed to the side of the road. Luckily, there was no traffic around to worry about. Keith immediately recognized the ticking noise as the belt.

“Jesus, Hunk, I thought you said this thing just got inspected.” Lance clutched his seatbelt as he spoke, still looking like he feared death even though they couldn't have been going more than five miles an hour now.

“I mean, it did! Just, hang on, okay?” Hunk shushed him, bringing the struggling car to a screeching halt.

As soon as the car stopped, Keith immediately unbuckled himself and opened his door.

“Pop the hood.” He demanded rather than asked.

“Oh? Uh, okay, yeah!” Hunk was taken aback but did as he was told.

“Y-yeah! I’d better go take a look, too!” Lance clamored to follow Keith, slamming his door shut shortly after exiting the car. They both circled around, Keith narrowly resisting the urge to roll his eyes as Lance damn near raced him to the hood of the car. Keith lifted the metal, securing it in place as his eyes raked over the damage. His attention went straight for the belt, which, as he had guessed, was frayed and cracked at the seams where it snapped in half. It desperately needed replacing, and Keith wondered how he had missed the warning noises.

He glanced to the side at Lance, who stared down with raised brows and his mouth turned downward in confusion.

“Well?” Keith questioned him, and Lance jumped as if he had just noticed him.

“Huh? Oh, uh…” Lance bit his lip, nodding thoughtfully. “Yeah. The, uh, the thing is definitely broken. Should be no problem, I can fix it right up.”

“Okay, have at it.” Keith smirked, knowing full well he had no idea what he was talking about. Lance jumped.

“Psh. Yeah. Okay...” The tan boy turned to fiddle with random components. He might end up doing more harm than good, but it was worth it for Keith’s entertainment. He couldn’t wipe the smug smile off his face. “Noooo problem…” Lance drawled.

Lance started to unscrew the wiper fluid cap and Keith burst out with laughter.

“Dude, you have no idea what you’re doing, do you? Move over.” Keith breathily laughed at the offended noise Lance made as he bumped him out of the way. Keith began to unfasten the belt with precise knowledge.

“I do too! You’re just-”

“Then what’s wrong with the car, Lance?”

“Well, Y’know!” He gestured widely at the entirety of the engine. Keith snorted.

“The belt is busted. Whoever inspected this car was negligent, or just a novice. It’s clearly been out of sorts for a while, I’m surprised it took so long for it to snap. We can’t go on until we fix it; it controls the power steering and water pump. We gotta replace it.” Keith provided an explanation, to which Lance nodded as if he knew all along. Keith let it slide.

“Yeah, yeah, of course. I knew that.” Lance crossed his arms as he watched Keith intently. “But, uh, how do you know so much about cars, dude?”

“It’s my job to know them. I’m an apprentice mechanic at a family friend’s shop.” He answered curtly, preferring to focus on removing the belt properly.

“Woah… Really?” Lance’s awestruck voice nearly made him slip. It wasn’t _that_ impressiveLance was just clueless. He hadn’t even noticed when the others had begun to crowd around them. They seemed just as enthralled as Lance.

“I totally had you pegged as a car guy, Keith.” Pidge happily bounced up to the engine.  

“Thank goodness you were here, Keith! I’m scared to think of how we would have dealt with this otherwise.” Allura added.

“Yeah, dude, thanks! We have no cell reception out this far, so having our own little mechanic is a lifesaver.” Hunk added to the pile of compliments.

Keith felt strange being praised like this. It gave him a warm feeling that was entirely unfamiliar. He wasn’t sure if he liked it or if he was getting sick. At least he was being useful.

“Well, don’t get too excited.” Keith said, realization dawning on him as he looked around again. They were truly in the middle of nowhere. They hadn’t seen another car pass by in ages, and their surroundings were silent, only the wind brushing against the trees made any noise. “We need a replacement to fix this, and I don’t exactly think there’s an auto shop anywhere nearby.”

Hunk gasped. “Oh, God. We’re gonna die out here, aren’t we? We only have enough snacks to last us a few days. After that, we’re gonna have to start eating each other. That is if the wolves don’t get to us first! Ohmygod I’m not ready to die, I still have so much left to do! Guys, please don’t eat me, I-”

“Hunk! We’re not going to die. Jesus Christ. According to the map, the closest town is about ten miles up the road. It’ll be quite a walk, and it’s a really small town, but maybe they’ll at least have reception. We can call Triple-A.” Pidge nudges against Hunk, quelling the panic.

“Holy crap, ten miles!?” Lance gaped, before clearing his throat. “Well, I guess someone needs to stay here and hold down the fort. I’ll-”

“Lance and Keith, it would be best if the two of you went to the town. Is that alright?” Allura interrupted Lance without much thought, but her words roused a reaction from both boys.

“What? Why me!? Why him!?” They said in unison.

“Yeah, uh, Allura- Listen, I love you, but are you actually insane?” Hunk raised a brow at her suggestion.

“No, no. I’m with Allura on this one. Think about it, Hunk.” Pidge gave her opinion as well, moving to stand next to Allura. “Keith and Lance are the most likely to be able to make the hike out of the five of us, and we can’t send just one of them. The buddy system is top notch when it comes to avoiding murders, so it makes the most sense for both of them to go.”

“Allura can make it just fine, I’m sure.” Keith stubbornly refused.

Pidge sighed. “While that’s true, Keith, you’re the one who actually knows about cars. Lance is the most athletic out of all of us, plus he tried to get out of it, so he’s definitely going. We need you to go because you’ll know what we need. Can you guys just stop complaining, please?”

“Eh, whatever, I’m fine with this. Please just don't murder each other and forget to come back for the rest of us while you’re on the run from the law.” Hunk requested with a hint of exhaustion.

“But!” Lance protested.

“No buts!” Pidge and Allura voiced together.

The deadly looks on their faces warned Keith not to argue, so he decided to keep his mouth shut.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Hunk settled back into the driver's seat with a sigh. Pidge reassured him that she had calculated a breakdown into the list of possible variables when planning the trip and that this would very minimally affect their schedule, but that didn’t mean Hunk had to like it.  

“Think they’re gonna be okay?” Pidge asked as she crawled back into her seat, pulling out her PSVita she had kept stowed under her seat. She would get a solid four hours of playtime out of it before she started going mad with boredom.

“Yes, I sure hope so.” Allura sounded calm, which put everyone else at ease.

“Allura, Pidge, I know you guys are, well, girls, but can how come you were so adamant about staying behind?” Hunk’s curiosity got the better of him. He knew that Pidge and Allura were both perfectly capable of making the trip. Hell, even Hunk was, in a pinch.

The girls shared a knowing glance. An unspoken understanding seemed to float between them, unseen to Hunk. He made another questioning noise.

“Hunk, have you really not noticed the way Lance keeps looking at Keith? That boy has it Bad. With a capital B.” Pidge snickered. Allura tried to act more mature, but she failed, chuckling lightly behind the palm of her hand.  

“On the surface, they seem to hate each other. But I personally think they’re just acting out because they don’t know how to properly communicate their feelings. Working together in a tough situation is a great way to bond. I’m sure they’ll come out of this closer than before.” Allura added.

Hunk seemed enthralled by their theories. He made a hum of understanding.

“I see. Well, I know I remember they used to be pretty close when we were kids, and all…” Hunk spoke happily at the nostalgic memories before his tone shifted lower. “But… That all changed after Keith left… Lance was really mad. I think they had a pretty big fight.”

“Yeah, and it’s been how many years now? Three or four? It’s time to build a bridge and get the fuck over it.” Pidge and her filthy mouth, jeez.

“Language! You’re still just a high schooler at heart.” Hunk teased her. She stuck out her tongue, not bothering to look up from her game.

“Yeah, well, I’m smart enough to be in college and have the best grades in the class. So, that’s gotta count for something.” She bragged.

“Yeah, yeah.” Hunk turned his attention back to the road ahead. Lance and Keith had disappeared around the winding corners of the mountainous terrain around an hour ago, maintaining a safe distance from each other.

He mulled over Allura and Pidge’s words. He had noticed his best friend’s feelings, of course, but he worried still. Lance didn’t have the best track record when it came to love, and Keith was a complete mystery to him.

Despite the fact that Keith used to come around their neighborhood to play with Lance often when they were children, he had mostly stuck to Lance like glue. Whenever Hunk had tried to talk to him, he just stared at the ground quietly, refusing to acknowledge him. He would only ever perk up when Lance would come running to his side and hold his hand, dragging him around to play this game and that game. Now, it seemed they couldn’t get far away enough from each other.

He wondered what had changed. What happened between them?

Keith had a bad reputation nowadays. People liked to talk, and the talk wasn’t good. Hunk wasn't one to listen to rumors and gossip, but he had to admit it had him a little worried. It’s not that he disliked Keith at all, it was just…

More than anything, he just didn’t want to see Lance get hurt.

He felt a hand come to rest on his shoulder from behind.

“Don’t worry too much, Hunk. They’ll be okay.” Allura’s words were soft and comforting. She really had a way of making you believe everything was going to be A-okay, that girl.

Hunk’s unease instantly settled. She was probably right.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lance being loved and appreciated by his friends??? In this fic??? More likely than you think.  
> Anyways this chapter had a shitton of exposition in it, like, wow! Next chapter will have more going on in it, so i hope you look forward to it!


	4. 6/20/18 Flintstone, MD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _"You say that you're no good for me_   
>  _Cause I'm always tugging at your sleeve_   
>  _And I swear I hate you when you leave_   
>  _But I like it anyway"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow i managed to make it angsty and i hate myself. Dont worry; its nothing major.  
> Anyways, sorry about the delay on this chapter! I’m actually writing two Klance fics at once, so my attention is kind of split between the two of them lol. My goal is to update both at least once a week, but that can be a bit challenging with work and social life, so if i’m late on an update just know I haven’t given up! ^^

“How long are you just gonna ignore me, dude?” Lance huffed in frustration as he skipped forward, struggling to keep up with Keith.

It had been at least an hour since they had started walking down the desolate, narrow road. Keith had maintained a radio silence since the start, despite Lance’s poking and prodding.

“As long as it takes, I suppose.” Keith answered curtly. To his surprise, Lance perked up at his statement.

“Hey! That’s the first thing you’ve said to me since we started walking!”

Keith rolled his eyes as he realized his mistake. He willed his feet to move even faster, his walk turning into a jog to keep Lance a safe distance away from him.

Lance wasn’t having it; sprinting forward to remain by Keith’s side. Eventually, he realized the taller boy had an overabundance of energy, and out-running him probably wasn't an option. He resigned himself back to walking.

Lance was much, much too close for comfort. Their shoulders nearly brushed, causing Keith's heartbeat to quicken ever so slightly. Why was he so close? Was he dense?

Keith stared at the small creek running alongside the road to distract himself. He craned his neck forward to see his face reflected in the murky water, before sneaking a glance at Lance’s face. The taller boy wore a subtle smile as he stared forward at the road ahead. He looked like he was remembering something pleasant.

Keith ripped his gaze away.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the time once again. 2:15 PM. Still no service, not even the small town they were looking for in sight.

The heavily forested path they had been driving down had dissolved into empty fields of dead grass on their right. A creek had appeared a few miles back, following them as the trees began to thin out on their left. Keith and Lance had yet to see a single sign of life out here. No cars had passed by, no power lines, not even a single creepy abandoned house upon one of the hills.

The road itself had even narrowed and turned to gravel. If they were still in the SUV, it would be a tight fit. Keith wondered if maybe they had taken a wrong turn somewhere. Was this really the path they were meant to take?

The pale boy’s eyes scanned through the trees cautiously every so often. He heard the occasional rustling of branches, mostly from squirrels and other wildlife, but you could never be too careful. A creeping thought came to his mind that this seemed like the kind of place you might discover a body in a horror movie.

He felt chills. Why was he psyching himself out like that?

No matter where he looked, he felt unsettled. If he stared at the forest, he swore they were going to be killed. If he looked out at the hills, he was disturbed by the lack of civilization. If he stared at the road, he felt claustrophobic and was reminded of Lance’s shadow next to his.

He decided to just watch the sky.

“Hey look! A car!” Lance shocked him out of his gloomy staring, but before he could even get out a ‘What? Where?’ he felt an arm hook around his waist.

He was vaguely aware of Lance laughing like an idiot as Keith felt his feet being dragged towards the right of the road; or more specifically, the creek.

“Hey!” Keith protested, grappling at Lance’s arm. Keith was lifted into the air with an effortlessness that was partly embarrassing, partly impressive. Then it hit him; Lance was trying to throw him into the water.

Oh, hell no.

Keith began to squirm, before finding his feet back on the ground. He used this to his advantage, digging his heels into the dirt to stop them from going any further.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing!?” Keith growled at Lance, who only laughed in response. He felt the taller boy’s grip around his waist tighten, and Keith immediately realized how close he was. He could feel his breath run down his neck as he laughed, and his chest against his back. Keith’s face turned several shades darker. He immediately swung his fist backward, but Lance grabbed his wrist.

“Talk to me…” Lance’s voice betrayed his previous laughter, low and serious. It struck Keith straight through the heart, and his need to escape from Lance’s grasp grew even direr. “Or I’m gonna throw you in!” Lance declared, voice returning to its normal tone.

“Like hell you are!” Keith was snapped back into fight mode. He put all of his energy into wrestling back and forth with Lance, who still held his wrist in a vice. Keith tried to trip Lance, but it only made them stumble forward, closer to the water’s edge. Was Lance really going to push him in? Does he want to die!?

Keith was surprised by how strong Lance was now. When they were younger, Keith would always win whenever they would wrestle with each other. Probably the result of Keith sitting indoors all day, and Lance joining the track team in college. Maybe he even had abs now…

And at that thought, Keith found himself completely compromised. All because his mind couldn't help but think about the possibility of trailing his tongue across the shallow indents of Stupid Lance’s perfect stomach. He was being held inches away from the stream now. Lance only had to let him go.

“Say it! Say you’ll stop ignoring me!” Lance yelled at him but held no real malice in his voice. This was all just a game to him, yet he had no idea the kind of power he held over Keith at this moment. Keith stared into the water, briefly wondering if it was worth it to just let Lance drop him in.

“Fucking… Fine! Now let me go!” Keith spat out the words. More than he didn’t want to get wet, he just didn’t want Lance pressed up against him any longer. It was doing weird things to him.  

He sighed in relief as Lance’s grip loosened, pulling him away from the bank. His blue eyes sparkled as he laughed, but Keith kept his face drawn in a pout.

“I did it! I finally won. You’re out of practice, Kogane. I-” Lance began to brag, only to be cut off as their shoulders collided together. Keith passed him, grumpily returning to the road. This time, Lance didn’t skitter to catch up to him. Keith should've just kept walking, but he didn’t. He even spared a glance back at the boy, which he instantly regretted.

His tall, lanky frame looked pathetic as he stared down at the grass beneath his feet. His smile was gone, replaced by a frown, and eyebrows drawn in confusion. Lance, realizing Keith hadn’t left, briefly looked up. His eyes were a bit watery.

“Keith... Why did you come on this trip?” He asked in a tone that was too serious.

“I didn't have a choice. It’s not like I wanted to.” Keith answered quickly, before turning his back to Lance once more. He felt relieved when he heard Lance’s footsteps approaching behind him. They were wasting time and he knew it. The others were waiting on them. Lance sighed, and as if he had the same thoughts, he started walking.

Keith made no effort to catch up to him as they resumed their trek. He stayed a few steps behind Lance.

“That’s not really true though, is it?” Lance brought it up again, to Keith’s surprise. He wanted to ignore him, but he didn’t want a repeat of almost being thrown into the stream. “I mean, of course you had a choice. Everyone has a choice.” Lance continued.

Try as he might, Keith couldn’t really argue with his logic. If all else failed, Keith could've just walked home, or called an Uber or something.

“To prove a point, I guess.” Keith settled on that answer.

Shiro was constantly on his case nowadays, lecturing him. His older brother was convinced that Keith was lonely deep down, no matter how much he told him he wasn’t. He was getting sick of it. He was perfectly happy at home, spending his time alone. Besides, it was better for everyone like this.

Whenever he tried to get close to anyone, they just ended up hurting him. Or he would hurt them. It was better this way; safer.

It was his comfort zone, where nobody needed to exist except for him and Shiro. And maybe Adam, too.

“Oh…” Lance distantly replied, but Keith was hardly paying attention anymore.

Keith was better off alone. It's not like anyone else cared about him anyway.

“I’m sorry about trying to push you into the water. You didn’t think it was funny, I guess.” Lance broke his thought process. He had a habit of doing that. For once, though, Keith was somewhat grateful. Lance always had a habit of making him forget his problems.

“It wasn't funny.” Keith stubbornly confirmed. The two of them walked in silence for a few seconds, before Lance opened his mouth again.

“You used to think it was funny. I mean, before… It would've made you laugh.”

Keith felt himself growing irrationally angry at the thought. He had left that world behind him, and he had done it for a reason. Those happy memories only tasted bitter now. He didn’t want to talk about it.

“Yeah, well, I grew up, Lance.” Keith’s tone turned hostile as he spoke. “Maybe you should, too.”

Lance’s frame remained steady as he walked. He didn’t even flinch from Keith’s harsh words, though, Keith couldn't see his face.

Lance didn’t speak again after that. Keith internally berated himself, realizing he had gone too far.

But hey, this was what he wanted, right?

He was better off alone.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

By now, Keith’s calves felt like they were on fire, and his heels ached mercilessly. The trees and the stream had thinned out into nothing, and the pavement on the road had returned. They had let out a collective sigh of relief at the first sight of the town; if you can even call it a town. It was the first sign of human life they had seen for hours, minus the two cars that had driven past them on their way to the town.

Keith had stuck out a thumb to them, but they drove past without hesitation. Lance briefly opened his mouth to let Keith know they weren't stopping because Keith was apparently ‘too brooding,’ and would ‘scare the children.’

Annoying as it was, it was the first Lance had spoken to him since Keith had torn into him. He was glad as they had begun speaking again after that, albeit not much.

Lance picked up to a jog as the town, or rather, the cluster of buildings in the middle of nowhere grew closer. Keith wondered bemusedly where he found the energy as he dragged his feet lifelessly.

“Finally, I thought it would never end…” Lance sounded out of breath as he paced, and for once Keith wholeheartedly agreed with him. The Not-Town consisted of a handful of old, beaten-down trucks and buildings in desperate need of a new paint job. And yet, Keith had never been happier to see it.

Feeling like they had just passed through the gates of utopia, they weakly stumbled upon the gravel parking lot of the Not-Town’s local convenience store.

“Cool, so… Uh, now what?” Lance and Keith stood just feet away from the door. Keith panted as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

“Well, it’s a long shot that this place will have the part we need, but maybe whoever’s inside can help us.” Keith reasoned. Lance took the lead as they walked through the door, the cheap AC unit blissfully cooling his damp skin.

There was a girl lazily reading at the counter, who perked up as the bell rang. She had piercing blue eyes and long blonde hair tied into low pigtails.

“Oh~ Helloooo there.” Lance’s switch was instantly flipped, and he snapped his fingers into guns as he gave her his signature smirk. Keith felt the urge to punch him again.

“I see you haven’t changed a bit.” Keith made no effort to mask his annoyance. Lance only gestured subtly towards the girl, giving Keith a look like he must be blind.

Sure, the girl was attractive. Even if Keith wasn’t straight, he had eyes. But now wasn't the time for this. The girl giggled shyly as Lance continued to give her his blinding smile that totally, absolutely, definitely had no effect on Keith whatsoever. Totally.

“What can I do for you boys, today?” She spoke up. Lance stuttered a bit, before leaning in to whisper to Keith.

“What do we need, again?”

“I thought you knew, Mr. Car Expert?” Keith taunted in a sing-song voice, and Lance’s nostrils flared indignantly.

“I do! I just have a bad memory, okay? Just stop being a douche and remind me what the part is called.”

“Fine.” Keith yielded. However, as he looked back and forth between the girl and Lance, an idea popped into his head. It was rare for him to play jokes, but this was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up for the world.

“It’s blinker fluid.”

“Blinker fluid?” Lance shot him a confused look, and for a moment Keith was worried he wouldn’t fall for it. “Okay, got it.” Lance lacked his usual confidence but strode up to the counter regardless. Keith bit his lip to avoid giving himself away.

This boy really didn’t know the first thing about cars, did he? Keith wondered who he was trying to impress by pretending.

He watched the cinematic beauty of it all play out before him; Lance striding confidently up to the girl, resting an elbow on the counter to seem nonchalant. Flipping his short hair a bit, earning a giggle from her, before switching to business. He read Lance’s lips as the words ‘blinker fluid’ came out, and watched the girl’s expression change in the blink of an eye. She went from playfully twirling a lock of hair to looking at Lance like he was an alien, brows raised and head tilted. He seemed to backtrack, before completely derailing as she burst out into laughter. Keith couldn't help but follow suit, muffling his laughter into his hand as Lance internally screamed.

Lance immediately turned on his heel, high tailing it back to Keith where he stopped in mortified silence.

“There is no such thing as blinker fluid, is there?”

Keith stopped laughing long enough to reply, “There is no such thing as blinker fluid, Lance.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Hours after the incident, things had finally settled back down. The girl at the gas station, whose name was apparently Nyma, had taken pity on them when she learned of their actual situation. As Keith expected, they didn’t have the part he needed for the car, but Nyma was still willing to help them out.

Instead, she enlisted the help of her boyfriend, much to Lance’s chagrin. Her boyfriend, Rolo, ended up driving to the nearest town to phone Triple-A for them. The two of them were eternally grateful as they waited around in the convenience store. Nyma showed them around the town a bit, too. Turns out it had an actual population, however minuscule it was.

A place called Flintstone, Maryland was apparently where they had found themselves. With a whopping population of One-hundred and seventy-seven, it spanned mostly farmland and forests. Due to its size, it seemed to be more of a county, in Keith’s opinion.

The hours passed agonizingly slow as they waited for their friends. Keith was surprised by how little they bickered, though. It seemed Lance had all but forgotten about their argument earlier. He always was quick to bounce back. Though Lance was particularly salty about Keith sabotaging his attempts to flirt earlier, to which Keith countered by reminding him he never had a chance in the first place.

The two of them eventually found themselves sitting on the bench outside the convenience store, waiting for their friends to make it back to them.

Keith was content with just staring blankly ahead while Lance fidgeted with his clothes and kicked the dirt around at his feet.

The silence was broken when Lance let out a small chuckle under his breath. Keith could see Lance glancing at him from the corner of his eye.

“What’re you looking at?” Keith asked.

“Nothing, nothing,” Lance assured him, but Keith continued to stare at him until he budged. “I was just thinking about how this is kinda, nostalgic, in a way?”

“How so?” Keith gave Lance a look, not recalling any other time they had ever been stranded in the middle of nowhere hanging out on a bench while waiting for their friends to (hopefully) come and get them.

“Y’know… kindergarten?” Lance only had to say one word, and Keith knew exactly what he was talking about.

Keith remembered very clearly. That was where they had met almost fifteen years ago.

Lance had been so obnoxious and loud, always trying to lead the other kids around and be in control. Keith was a bit jealous, honestly. Especially considering he could hardly bring himself to speak in front of others. He looked up to Lance.

But Lance had only hated him, even then. During all of their classroom activities, Lance would try to compete with Keith. Whenever Keith excelled at something, Lance would always try to outdo him. For the better half of that year, they had never spoken a word to each other. It always boiled down to racing each other to the best glue sticks during art and silently waging a war of one-ups during show-and-tell.

It finally happened the day they were playing catch in the yard during recess. The day they finally spoke. Right after Keith had launched a plastic ball at Lance’s face so hard it made him bleed.

He was dragged to the principal’s office after that, where he was forced to have his first verbal conversation with Lance.

It went a little something like, _“I’m sorry for hitting you in the face.”_ He had gritted his teeth as he said it, but Lance was forced to accept his apology. By now, it was routine for the office staff, who knew well of his history of anger issues. Keith was their resident problem child.

It might’ve just ended there, but the consequences of his actions decided to follow him around for the rest of his life instead. Literally.

Lance’s mom was late that day, for the first time ever. She had heard about her son’s injury during school and had run to the store to buy him his favorite ice cream. Mrs. McClain was an angel like that.

Everything else was as it always was. The kids would begin to dwindle after class as parents came to pick them up. Kids happily ran to their parents, screaming 'Mommy!' And 'Daddy!'

Until eventually, no one but Keith and the teachers remained. He would sit in a corner and quietly read until the lights in the classroom went off, and it was time to leave.

The only difference then was Lance.

For once, he hadn't been the only one left after hours, waiting on the sidewalk with pissed off teachers complaining about how his foster family was always late and they just wanted to go home.  

Instead, there was a brown-haired, blue-eyed boy with a band-aid across his nose staring at him with no regard for manners.

 _“What are you looking at?”_ Keith grumbled at him.

 _“Nothing! Nothing!”_ The boy replied, before taking a seat on the curb next to Keith. Keith scooted away in response, putting a few inches of distance between them.

 _“Where’s your Mamá?_ ” Lance suddenly asked.

Keith couldn't really get mad at that, it’s not like Lance knew. Most kids didn’t have a grasp on the fact that some people didn’t have a loving mom and dad waiting for them at home.

 _“I don’t have a mom…”_ Keith said, trying hard to sniff back the tears.

His mom and dad had died years ago when Keith was too young to remember the first thing about them.

He couldn’t see the look on Lance’s face, but he was sure the boy was going to tease him. The teachers probably wouldn't stop him, since Keith was their least favorite child. They usually turned a blind eye whenever he was in trouble.

As he fought to hold back the tears, he jumped at the feeling of a pair of small arms wrapping around him. He felt overwhelmed as he realized Lance was hugging him.

Lance, his worst enemy, was pulling him close and giving him the most gentle embrace he had ever experienced. He didn’t understand why this boy who hated him so much was taking pity on him. He didn’t really think he deserved it.

But the dam inside him broke then, and the tears began to fall. He sniveled pathetically and clung to Lance as he let it all out. Lance didn't tease him or push him away, he only hugged him tightly. Looking back on it now was so embarrassing that Keith felt like he might die, but Lance had truly saved him that day.

 _“Hey, it’s okay! Please don't cry.”_ Lance perked up as Keith’s sobs slowed down. _“You can share my Mamá if you want. She’s really great, even if she yells sometimes.”_

 _“Share…?”_ Keith lifted his face from Lance’s newly soaked shirt to stare into Lance’s big blue eyes.  

 _“Yeah! I think Mamá will love you! Oh, look! She’s here now.”_ Lance stood abruptly as a car pulled into the lot, and Keith was swept up and dragged along by the hand. Lance practically vibrated with excitement as his mom stepped out of the car. The look of joy on her face to see her son was one Keith saw often but had never truly seen for himself. Until the woman turned her attention to the boy at her son’s side, where she had instantly acknowledged him.

 _“Is this your friend, Lance?”_ Her voice was soft with a thick accent as she held a hand out to Keith. Lance instantly beamed and nodded his head. Keith couldn't bring himself to move a muscle as he stared at her hand, unsure what to do with it.

 _“Mamá, can we take home Keith? He says he doesn't have a mamá.”_  Lance tugged on his mother’s shirt as if he was asking for a new puppy. His mother’s face instantly downturned. She used her free hand to ruffle the boy’s hair with a look of adoration he had never seen directed at him before.

 _“Oh, mijo...”_ She was so gentle as she brushed the hair out of his face that Keith started to cry again. He was enveloped in a pure, maternal warmth as she hugged him.

From that day forward he had been treated like a member of the family. If there was anything he missed about his friendship with Lance, it was definitely his family.

“How are the kids doing?” Keith found himself asking.

“Oh, man, they’re so big now! I seriously can’t believe how fast they’re growing up; Sylvia sprouted up like a bean pole, it’s hilarious.” Lance chuckled and Keith felt warm. Then a moment of silence hit until Lance spoke up again. “They miss you, y’know?”

Keith felt a pang of guilt. He could only look at the ground.

“I miss them, too.”

The sound of tires over gravel finally picked Keith’s gaze up off the ground. He heard Lance let out a cheer and he sighed in relief when he saw Hunk and Pidge beaming at them from the front seat. Allura popped her head through the middle and waved at them through the glass.

“Guys! We lived! You did it!” Hunk rolled down the window to shout, and Keith laughed breathlessly.

“Hell yeah, we did!” Lance shouted back, before turning to Keith and smiling brighter than the sun.

_We did it._

Keith cursed Lance’s sunshine smile, yet he couldn’t fight his own as those sparkling blue eyes kept his gaze.

Lance stepped a bit closer, before nudging Keith’s shoulder with his own.

“We always did make a good team.” Lance beamed.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Okay, so maybe- Just maybe, Lance was more tolerable than Keith gave him credit for. That’s the reason Keith allowed it to happen when Lance settled back into the middle seat, right next to him.

Lance was still grounded from the aux cord, anyways, so it probably wouldn't be an issue.

The car clamored with hugs and high fives as they were all reunited. Keith was left a bit flustered when Hunk had pulled both Lance and Keith in for a big bear hug, but he decided to just let that happen, too. They had said their goodbyes to Nyma and Rolo before taking off, as well.

Allura asked them for the rundown on what had happened, and Lance happily indulged her in his exaggerated hero’s tale version of the story. Keith noticed that he conveniently skipped the fight he and Lance had had.

“You forgot the part where you asked the girl at the store for blinker fluid.” Keith chimed in, still utterly amused with himself. Hunk and Allura snorted, and Pidge gave Lance a look of sheer disappointment. Lance scrambled to defend himself.

“That was Keith’s fault! He just wanted to embarrass me in front of a cute girl!” He pouted.

“Oh, please; you do that just fine on your own.” Keith retorted. Lance nudged him with his elbow.

“Tch, whatever. Keith cramped my style the whole time. He wouldn’t even talk to me for the first, like, hour!” Lance whined.

On that note, Keith realized he had never even apologized to Lance for what he had said. It was probably too late now, he thought bitterly.

“Alright, guys, back to business.” Pidge adjusted her glasses as she spoke, and the chatter died down. “So, unfortunately, our first stop has been canceled. Or rather, delayed.”

At her announcement, the others let out various groans of disappointment. She shushed them before continuing.

“Oh, don't give me that. The sun is setting, my dudes. There is no way in hell we’re gonna get to the park fast enough to set up our tents and have dinner before dark. We’ll have to settle for fast food and a cheap motel tonight.”

“No way! I was so looking forward to camping!” Lance slumped next to Keith, and he couldn't help but agree with him. He was grateful that Lance was voicing his disappointment, as Keith still found himself a bit too nervous to speak up.

“Oh, no no no. Trust me, we’re still going camping. Just not tonight. Instead, we’ll have a full day of it tomorrow, so quit your griping.”

At that, Lance lit up like a Christmas tree. Keith gave a smirk so small that no one could see it.

It wasn’t a long ride before they made it to the town just outside of Swallow Falls State Park. Oakland, Maryland is what it was called, if Keith remembers correctly.

As soon as they got service again, he re-sent his failed text to Shiro. He didn’t add in any details about the breakdown.

After fighting over various fast food restaurants, they begrudgingly settled on Taco Bell. The five of them scarfed down their food in the car on their way to the motel. Keith hadn't even realized how damn hungry he was.

Finally, they unloaded their overnight bags from the trunk and walked up the steps of the motel to their designated room.

It wasn't luxurious by any means, but Keith was happy with it. He was pretty low-maintenance, after all. Lance, on the other hand…

“Oh my God, was this really the only place available? I think I’d rather sleep in the car.” Lance pushed his way past Keith as they entered the room.

The room had the cheesiest patterns he had ever laid on. The bed was a deep red paisley pattern, completely clashing with the dark green on the floors. The walls, at least, were neutral brown wood panels.

When Pidge launched herself onto the bed, she didn’t even bounce. In fact, she groaned as if she had just been punched in the gut.

Okay, so Keith is low-maintenance, but this is definitely a new type of low for him. The room was pretty bare bones as well. It only had two queen sized beds, a small couch and a TV, and a mini-fridge. Wait…

His eyes flicked back and forth between the two beds and the five people they were meant to host.

“So, math isn’t exactly my best subject…” Keith began. “But I’m pretty sure we have more people than beds.” He said with sarcasm. Lance scoffed.

“No shit, drop out. Haven't you ever stayed in a hotel with a group before?” Lance talked down to him, and Keith wished he could talk back, but…

He had genuinely never stayed in a hotel with a group of people before. Come to think of it, Keith doesn’t know if he was even close with enough people to fill a room with them.

When Keith only stared blankly back at Lance, he sighed.

“We just gotta split the beds up.” He offered, and Keith bit his lip. No offense to anyone but Lance, but Keith was definitely not about to snuggle up to a complete stranger, no matter how nice they were.

“Oh. Uh. I’ll… Sleep on the floor then.” Keith awkwardly suggested.

“Nope! You’re our honorary guest, Keith. You’re getting a bed, like it or not.” Hunk clasped him by the shoulder. He was sure Hunk meant well, but he was definitely leaning more towards ‘Not.’

“Allura and I are sleeping buddies, obviously. So that leaves Lance and Hunk. Who wants the couch?” Pidge began to set up her side of the bed as she spoke. Keith felt more uncomfortable by the second as Lance and Hunk gave each other a look. Keith was surprised when Lance didn’t immediately call dibs on the bed. Knowing how much he valued his ‘beauty rest,’ Keith figured he really would rather die than sleep on the couch. Instead, he just gave Hunk an uneasy look.

Hunk shrugged, finally breaking the stalemate before Keith got up the nerve to insist he should be the one to sleep on the couch. “I’ll take the couch. Keith is our guest and Lance is a primadonna. It’s all good.” He snickered.

Lance looked pale. Why was he so upset? Shouldn't he be happy he is getting a bed? Keith didn’t even want a bed, so-

_Wait._

_Hold on._

_Oh no._

Keith felt himself turn just as pale as Lance, now, realizing what this meant.

He was going to have to share a bed with fucking Lance, of all people.

Why did the universe keep punishing him like this?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry if u didnt get the blinker fluid part at first. I totally would’ve fallen for it, too, lance. Oof i wanted to keep writing but this chapter got wayyyy too long so i had to cut it short. Stay tuned for bedsharing/camping shenanigans!


	5. 6/21/2018 Oakland, MD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _My ghost, where'd you go? ___  
>  _I can't find you in the body sleeping next to me ___  
>  _My ghost, where'd you go? ___  
>  _What happened to the soul that you used to be? ___  
>  __

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay on this chapter. I had some personal stuff to work through this week and it really hit me hard so I kind of lost motivation. I hope you enjoy it, though. 
> 
> Your comments and kudos are what motivates me the most, so thank you so much!

The bed dipped next to Keith as Lance slid under the covers. Keith’s entire body was ridged with stress as he lie on his back underneath the covers.

Neither of them dared to speak a word or share a glance, but from the corner of his eye Keith could see that Lance was just as frigid as he was. Both of them stared blankly at the ceiling in uncomfortable silence.

The rest of the room was still bustling as everyone else settled down for the night. Hunk brushed his teeth from the bathroom and Pidge and Allura giggled as they bounced onto their bed.

The room became pitch as all the lights were turned off and the other laid down. Or at least, that's what Keith assumed was happening as he kept his eyes glued to the stucco patterns on the ceiling.

Eventually, the noises died down to the occasional tossing and turning, coupled with yawning and tired whispering.

Lance rolled onto his side, whispering a goodnight that didn’t even sound like it was meant for Keith.

Enough time passed that Keith finally let out a small sigh, feeling the tension in his muscles release. He lamented that the bed was small enough that he could still feel Lance’s warmth and hear his strained breathing.

He decided things might be less strenuous if he could just… act natural?

Keith faked a yawn before turning onto his side, away from Lance. He tugged at the blankets a bit to hug them into his chest. This was how he normally slept, anyway.

Even so, Keith found himself unable to will his eyes closed. He wasn’t going to sleep anytime soon.

He decided to let enough time pass for Lance to hopefully fall asleep, watching the digital clock tick minutes away until he deemed it safe enough to move. He turned himself over in the bed with careful precision, sparing only one glance at Lance’s sleeping face, just to make sure.

He had moved back onto his back as he slept with an arm draped across his eyes. His mouth was slightly agape as he breathed peacefully. He looked so different when he was asleep; vulnerable, more tolerable.

Until a snore ripped from his mouth, that is.

Keith hunched over, desperately holding back his laughter.

Lance absentmindedly smacked his lips together, before shifting uncomfortably. Keith was still letting out little breaths of laughter when Lance lunged forward.

Keith saw his life flash before his eyes as Lance essentially pounced on him. He was left stunned as Lance’s arms constricted around his back, pulling him close to his chest like a stuffed animal.

“L-Lance…!” He whisper-screamed. Lance only groaned sleepily in response.

Okay, so Lance was a sleep cuddler. No big deal.

Except for the fact that Keith’s heart was absolutely beating out of his chest.

Lance’s leg moved to curl around his as the taller boy pulled Keith’s head into the crook of his neck. Keith stifled a gasp, his body rigid with shock.

This is it. This is how he dies.

His face was ablaze as he forced his eyes closed, trying desperately to ignore the fresh scent of ocean breeze on Lance’s warm skin. Damn his good taste in shampoo.

“Fucking… _Lance!”_ He tapped on Lance’s arm, begging to be released, but Lance was out like a light.

For a moment, Keith accepted his fate. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to go out like this; smothered to death by a hot guy. It certainly wasn't the worst death.

But this wasn't just any hot guy; this was Lance. He could never give Lance the satisfaction of taking him out.

He began to wiggle himself loose. Lance whined, but his grip began to slack around Keith.

Keith sighed in relief as their bodies untangled. He looked down at Lance, his eyelashes fluttered and Keith’s heart nearly stopped, fearing he would wake up.  

Keith felt embarrassed as he realized his stare was lingering on Lance’s sleeping face.

He realized he needed to get out of here, quickly.

He stepped on the floor, cringing as it creaked. He moved quickly to snag a key card off the top of the fridge, before making his way out of the room. The door clicked shut louder than he would’ve liked, but he continued towards the exit anyway.

The cool night air was blissful against his skin as he stepped outside. His heartbeat had only just began to slow. He decided being so close to Lance was probably bad for his health.  

Keith pulled out his phone and quickly dialed a number.

_‘Ngh… Hello?’_

A groggy voice came through the line reminding Keith that it was, in fact, midnight.

“I hate you.” Keith got straight to the point.

 _‘Aww… Keith. I miss you, too.’_ He heard a rustling from the phone, before a loud yawn rang out in his ear.

“You wanna know how many times I’ve almost died already on this trip, Shiro?”

_‘Not really, but I get the feeling you’re gonna tell me anyw-’_

“At least three. And it’s only day one. Should I shoot for four tomorrow? Is that what you want?” Keith rambled on in complaint. His brother only chuckled in response.

 _‘All right, all right. Gimme a sec.’_ More rustling, followed by a door closing softly. _‘Sorry, the camp kids are sleeping. I didn't wanna wake them. Now tell me all about your near-death experiences today.’_

That’s right, Shiro had mentioned something about being a camp counselor over the summer. That bastard. Always doing good things while being secretly evil enough to ruin his little brother’s life.

“Okay, well first, I was almost murdered by Allura after Lance started a fight with me. But you know that.” He heard Shiro scoff at that, but decide to ignore him. “Second, we broke down in the middle of nowhere and I had to walk ten miles to the nearest civilization to find help.” Shiro choked at that.

_‘Wait, seriously!?’_

But Keith just kept rattling on; to the worst of the three, mind you.

“And third! I got partnered with Lance as my sleeping buddy! Lance!”

At that, Shiro was quiet. Keith made an indignant noise to prompt his brother to react. This was life or death. Come on, Shiro!

_‘Oh! Uh… I’m sorry, is that a bad thing?’_

“Wha-! Uh, Of course it's bad! Cause…! Cause…” Keith spittered, but was unable to finish his sentence. Why was it bad exactly? Because his heart was beating so fast he felt like he was going to pass out?

Yeah, that…

Moments later, Shiro hummed in epiphany.

 _‘Ohhh, I get it.’_ Shiro sighed dramatically. _‘Ah, young love.’_

“What!?” Keith jolted, hating how his surprise echoed across the parking lot. He reined himself in before repeating in a softer, nonchalant tone. “What? That’s not it at all.”

 _‘Really, Keith? Then why is it such a big deal for you to be sleeping buddies with him?’_ Shiro had a self-assured, teasing tone that got under Keith’s skin. The worst part was that Shiro had a point. Not that he would admit that.

“Because I hate him!” He blurted. He realized he was fighting a losing battle with his temper if Shiro was going to keep teasing him like this.

_‘...You and I both know that isn’t true, Keith.’_

Keith opened his mouth to argue further, before he heard a door click shut behind him. He realized far too late that he was yelling.

Whipping around, he was met with the one person he didn’t want to see right now.

“Lance…” Keith trailed off when he registered the look on the tall boy’s face.

Keith could only describe it as ‘hurt.’ His brows were drawn in, his mouth pulled downward, and his eyes slightly watery.

“You hate me?” Lance’s voice cracked a bit when he spoke, still low and shaky from sleep.

_‘Keith? Is everything okay?’_

Keith let out a small gasp as he heard his brother’s distant voice through the phone. He instantly ended the call, before his eyes went back to Lance.

Keith opened his mouth to say something, anything, but words failed him. He felt his heart drop into his stomach as Lance turned to leave.

“Wait!” Keith shouted, and Lance froze. Although, Keith hadn’t really thought this far ahead. “Um…” Lance let out a breath as Keith struggle to remember how words worked.

“You know, you could’ve just said you didn’t want to sleep with me. I would have slept on the floor… I just thought…” Lance trailed off.  

Something about the way Lance looked at the ground and spoke with such uncertainty pained Keith’s heart. He couldn’t believe it, but right now he much preferred loud-mouthed, obnoxious, over-confident Lance to… _this_.  

“That’s not it. I just…” Keith couldn’t speak the rest out loud.

_I just hate the way you make my heart feel._

“I’ll take the floor.” Keith decided to say instead.

He had never hated himself more than in that moment, as Lance’s only response was to bite his lip and nod. He didn’t try to stop him as he turned to return to the room this time. He figured he had made enough of an ass out of himself for one night.

 

 

* * *

 

 

True to his word, Keith slept on the floor that night. It was uncomfortable and cold, but he couldn’t bring himself to face Lance again. He didn’t sleep well at all, tossing and turning throughout the night. It was probably around three AM, just when he had lost all hope of resting, that his eyes finally drifted shut.

The peace was short-lived, however.

It felt like he had only slept for a blink as he was awoken to the sound of laughing.

“You dork, you’re gonna wake Keith up!” Pidge whispered loud enough for Keith to hear.

“Well, maybe it’s about time he woke his lazy ass up anyway!” Upon hearing Lance’s voice, Keith’s eyes shot open. He turned himself over onto his back, propping himself up on his elbows as his eyes adjusted to the harsh light.

“What time s’ it?” He grumbled, earning everyone else’s eyes. They all sat on the bed across from him, holding paper plates with… Something on them.  

“Wow, dude, your bedhead is intense.”  Hunk gestured to his head, and Keith began to smooth the tufts of hair sticking out in every direction.

“Goodmorning, Keith. To answer your question, its nine AM. Hunk made everyone waffles down at the lobby, yours is in the microwave!” Allura beamed delightfully at him, and Keith wondered how anyone could smile so genuinely at nine in the goddamn morning.

“Oh… You didn’t have to do that…” Keith felt a mixture of guilt and surprise that Hunk had gone out of his way for him like that.

“Nah, that’s just Hunk. He loves to cook for his friends, so get used to it.” Pidge remarked through a mouth-full of waffles, earning a disgusted glare from Allura. Hunk merely blushed and chuckled.

Keith noticed that Lance was quiet, only stuffing his face with a downturned expression.

He also noted how no one commented on the fact that he was on the floor.

He hummed in appreciation, before leaving his sad excuse for a bed to get his breakfast. Keith moved to sit on the couch before Allura called out to him.

“Oh, there’s room on the bed! Come, sit!” Something about her tone always made it impossible to refuse her. She must’ve been royalty in another life. She scooted over and opened up a spot between herself and Pidge. Keith nervously obliged, crossing his legs and settling his plate between them. He picked up his waffle and ate it as the conversation continued without him.

As much as they tried to include him, he wasn’t really one of them. They were all so nice and accommodating, but he didn’t really belong here. The truth was he just ended up here by some messed up set of circumstances. He was sure they all knew that, too. They were just being polite.

He occasionally snuck glances at Lance, who seemed to be doing just fine now. Back to his usual self, and somehow the thought put Keith at ease.

Lance was like an endless supply of laughs for everyone else. He brought everyone around him up, even at his own expense sometimes. He cared so deeply about the happiness of others that sometimes he forgets to care for himself.

He watched Lance’s animated expressions, telling jokes and laughing along with his friends. Keith knew that this was his element; he was happiest when he was surrounded by the people he cared about, and able to make them smile.

It was too late for Keith to realize he was staring when Lance finally met his eyes. Instead of calling him out, Lance only tilted his head.

“You’re awfully quiet, Mullet. Everything okay?” Lance’s acknowledgment startled Keith a bit before he cleared his throat.

“Yeah.” Keith was the master of one-word responses. Lance’s stare lingered a bit before he shrugged.

“We’ve got a big day ahead of us.” Allura excitedly clapped her hands together, before rattling off a laundry list of things they needed to pick up before their excursion. Including, but not limited to, alcohol.

Keith stopped eating at that. He and alcohol didn’t have the best track history. He mentally noted that he should sit the partying out. Not like he hadn’t already said enough things he regretted while sober.  

 

 

* * *

 

 

The drive through the park was an experience, to say the least.

Every time Keith swore the road couldn't possibly get any smaller, it found a way. Eventually, it became less of a road than tire tracks through the grass. The SUV drudged through the forested area, going deeper and deeper into the mountain.

Pidge and Lance pressed their faces to the glass of their windows every time they saw a deer or a rabbit. Allura passed around snacks to pass the time, and Keith clung to the handle above his window for dear life every time he looked down at the cliff they drove on; aptly named the ‘Oh Shit Bar,’ according to Lance.

Eventually, when the forest was at its thickest, they turned into a grassy outcrop that led to a spacious campground.

“Woo! We’re here!” Pidge unbuckled herself before hopping out of the car, followed shortly by the others. When Keith stepped out he was in awe.

The mountain air was clean and crisp, and their campsite was picture perfect. Trees created a thick wall of privacy around their area, opening up for the flattened earth of their campground. A circle of stone in the center of the space was surrounded by several logs. To top it all off, the river was only a few feet away, down a short slope; close enough to hear the water running seamlessly.

Starstruck as he was, he caught Lance’s expression from the corner of his eyes.

The sun lit his face as he smiled, looking right at home. His blue eyes glittered in the light, and Keith was completely mesmerized. His lips curled into a smile without realizing as Lance’s infectious grin widened.

“It’s beautiful.” Lance said to no one in particular, his chest rising as he took a deep breath inward.

“Yeah…” Keith replied, quickly realizing he was looking at the wrong sight.

Lance, surprised by Keith’s presence, turned to meet his gaze. Keith immediately whipped his head towards the woods again.

“T-the campsite.” He reiterated.

“Alright fruitcakes, let’s start setting up camp. Hunk, you set up the cooking equipment, Allura and I will unpack the car,” Pidge bounced over to them as she gave orders. “Keith and Lance, you two pitch the tent.”

“Wah? Who died and made you team leader, Pidge?” Lance protested, but by now Keith had learned that it was pointless. He sighed.

“Where should we set up?” Keith asked, making an effort not to sound irritated at constantly being paired with Lance. It’s like this road trip was an experiment to see how long it would take Keith to say ‘fuck it’ and just start walking home.

Lance blinked at Keith in surprise, before his annoyance dissipated. He looked around.

“Hmm, this area here has the flattest ground. Not to mention plenty of shade!” Lance stepped over to examine a patch of dirt. “It’s a good distance from the water, and the wind exposure shouldn’t be too bad here. It’s perfect.”

Keith found himself unable to offer his opinion when Lance turned to him for approval.

“Uh, sure. Sounds good to me.” Keith murmured. Lance really knew his stuff, apparently.

Which reminded him; he had no idea how to pitch a tent. So when Lance retrieved the bag from the car and dropped it at his feet, he nervously started unzipping it.

It had been at least a decade since he last went camping with one of his foster families, and he had opted out of most of the activities. He had mostly just run off on his own to enjoy the scenery and the solitude of being deep in the mountains.

This time, however, he felt pressured to contribute. It would be rude if he didn’t. So he pulled out rods and fabric from the bag, dropping them onto the dirt in a disjointed mess. Keith sorted through the parts while Lance began to clear some debris from the ground around them.

Keith scratched the back of his neck, nervously side-eyeing Lance to signal that he had no idea where to begin with this.

Lance scoffed at him.

“Dude, really? Do I have to do everything?” He crouched down next to Keith. “Can you hand me the tarp?”

_Tarp, tarp, tarp… ah, it’s gotta be this one._

Keith picked up one of the fabric pieces and handed it to Lance.

“My dude.” Was Lance’s only response.

“What?”

“This is the whole ass tent you just handed me. The tarp is that one.” Lance skeptically pointed to an entirely different piece of fabric on the ground.

Ugh, that was stupid. Keith felt embarrassed immediately. “If this you trying to pull another ‘blinker fluid’ prank on me, don’t bother, I know my way around a campsite so…”

Lance’s rambling was cut off as he noticed the blush on Keith’s face. The taller boy’s mouth instantly took an ‘O’ shape as realization hit him.

“Dude… You don’t know how to pitch a tent, do you?”

It shouldn’t be embarrassing, but the smug look in Lance’s eyes made him want to vomit. He yanked the fabric back from Lance, before handing him what was, apparently, the tarp. Lance giggled obnoxiously.

“Aww, don't be embarrassed. I can totally teach you! All you had to do was ask, buddy.” Lance's voice teetered on the edge of sarcasm, but his eyes were genuine as he gestured for Keith to follow him. So, he reluctantly did.

Lance handed him one end of the tarp, before moving to unfurl it across the ground.

“Just think of this as payback for you making fun of me yesterday.” Lance winked at him.

Keith could only shrug. That was fair, honestly.

Keith continued to follow Lance like a lost puppy after that, feeling utterly out of his element. Lance, on the other hand, was completely at home. He knew the process of pitching a tent like the back of his hand, and his confidence was exuding.

Keith felt kind of bad for berating Lance about his lack of car knowledge, especially when Lance was so patient and eager to teach Keith about camping. Lance showed him where everything aligned on the ground, how to loop the poles through the fabric, and eventually, they managed to stake down the tent.

Lance wiped the sweat off his forehead and sighed heavily when they were done. He examined their work with pride, and Keith followed suit.

“Looks great.” Keith commented, and Lance hummed in approval.

Judging by the smile on Lance’s face when their eyes met, Keith figured their fight, if you could even call it that, from last night was behind them now.

That’s how their relationship had always worked in the past; apparently, some things never change.

Whenever they would have a fight, they would just give each other the cold shoulder until one of them had something they wanted to do or tell the other. Then they would just laugh and fall back into place like nothing had ever happened, leaving their harsh words in the past where they belong.

Keith wondered why that had worked every time except for one.

 

 

* * *

 

 

After the group was finished setting up their little campsite they set off towards the water. Pidge drudged a giant floatie in the shape of a pizza that was bigger than her entire body behind her. Hunk wheeled an ice chest full of drinks and snacks down to the riverbed. Keith ended up offering to carry the towels while Allura and Lance fussed over applying sunscreen.

Rather than swimming in the river right next to their campsite, they did a little hiking instead. Apparently, there was a perfect little cove down the river a bit where they could dive off of rocks and swim.

After only a minute or so of walking, Keith saw the river begin to narrow. The waters turned white as they grew shallow, small boulders jutting out to part the rush of water every so often. It was perfect for rafting, Keith thought.

Or at least, he would’ve thought that, if he hadn't looked ahead to see the river all but disappear with the slope of the mountain. A drop-off, or rather, a waterfall. The others seemed to notice too.

“There it is!” Pidge shouted, and the other whooped excitedly.  They skittered to the edge of the drop, leaning over the edge and gasping in awe. Keith caught up to them and gaped at what he saw.

The water was loud as it rushed over the edge, falling white and misty into a pool of crystal clear water at the bottom. The drop was intimidating, long enough to get some airtime. The rocks in the water below were flat and off to the sides, leaving a large area to swim around in. It was fairly deep too, and Keith was able to see the small round rocks at the bottom due to how clean and clear the water was.

It was something Keith thought only existed in movies and pictures, and it was right here in front of them. They had it all to themselves, too.

Lance was, as expected, the first to jump to action.

“I’m gonna jump!” Lance exclaimed, pulling his shirt off from the nape of his neck and-

Dear God, it was just as Keith had feared. He was so fit now. He still appeared skinny and langley while clothed, but underneath was a toned and tight stomach, hip bones protruding subtly, along with broad shoulders and arms that were well defined and oh shit, Keith was staring wasn't he.

Luckily, no one seemed to notice as Lance jumped into the shallow waters and approached the edge of the waterfall.

“Wait, Lance! We don’t know if it’s safe yet.” Pidge tried to reason with Lance, but he continued.

“Duh! That’s why I’m testing it.” Lance snickered.

With a howl, he leapt into the air before disappearing over the edge. Keith winced, sincerely hoping he wasn’t about to hurt himself.

The four of them bustled over to the edge after they heard the splash from below.

Keith’s heart skipped a beat when he didn’t see Lance. The clear water was completely void of life, except for the ripples of water coming from the waterfall. He saw no sign of Lance.

Keith was about to jump down himself before he saw Lance’s dark brown mop finally emerge from underneath the waterfall. The boy laughed breathlessly as he pushed the hair away from his face, waving up at his friends.

“Holy shit! That was amazing! Come down, guys!”

Hunk snorted before sighing in relief. “Uh, I think I’ll just walk down for now.”

“Ditto.” Pidge chucked her pizza float down before she began carefully making her way down the edge of the cliff.

“Aww, come on! Allura? Keith?” Lance shouted back up at them.

Keith looked down. He had never jumped so high in his life, and honestly, he felt like he might die if he even tried. He stubbornly shook his head, deciding to leave jumping off cliffs to Lance.

“Pfft, what are ya, chicken?” Lance directed at Keith. Oh no, he was not falling for that.

“No. Unlike some people, I actually have self-preservation instincts.”

Lance burst out laughing, splashing up at Keith even though he was far too high up for the water reach.

“Mhmm, sureee. Your big fancy words can't fool me, Scaredy Cat.” He smirked that stupid smirk that made Keith’s blood boil. Keith knew he had nothing to prove, but there wasn't much he wouldn’t do to wipe that smirk off Lance’s face.

“Goodness, Lance. Act your age.” Allura pinched the bridge of her nose, before giving Keith a look of sympathy. “Don’t listen to him, Keith. You don't have to jump if you-”  

Keith mimicked Lance’s smooth motion from earlier, dropping the towels he held to take off his shirt in one swipe. Though his body wasn’t quite as athletic as Lance’s, he still brimmed with confidence as he smirked down at Lance, giving him a taste of his own medicine.

Lance bit back a grin as Keith stepped up to the ledge he had jumped from, and Keith used that enticing expression as his push.

His body seemed to move faster than his brain, as before he knew it he was in the air and falling fast. He could only hold his breath as adrenaline pumped through his body.

All too fast, he hit the water, lingering underneath the surface where it was quiet; except for the muddled sound of Lance cheering.

Keith hadn’t realized he was smiling like an idiot as he resurfaced. His drenched hair draped in front of his eyes, effectively blinding him. He shook the hair away and was met with Lance shielding his own face from the water.

“Hey! What are you, a dog?” Lance complained through laughter as he splashed a handful of water back in Keith’s face.

Keith was still reeling from the afterglow of the jump when the water hit him in the face. He sputtered but did not retaliate, only wading water with a dazed expression of happiness lingering on his face.

“You wanna go again, don't you?” Lance broke his daze with his satisfied grin. Keith felt unable to stop his own lips from cracking a smile.

“Yeah.” He answered truthfully. He still found it hard to believe Lance had convinced him to jump off a cliff, but he was plainly glad that he had. It had been fun.

“Race you to the top?” Lance tilted his head, and Keith nodded.

At that, they were off. They swam like their lives depended on it, clamored back up the edge to the top, and proceeded to jump. This time, Lance did a flip. The next time, he dove. The third time, they jumped together. Eventually, Keith lost count.

The others even joined them a few times before settling down with wading in the water and floating peacefully. Lance and Keith continued on relentlessly, though.

“Well, I’m glad they’re at least entertaining themselves.” Keith caught Pidge’s words on one of their races back to the top.

“Wanna join us? It’s a rush.” Lance stopped and offered to the girl sipping soda on her pizza floatie. She raised her sunglasses, squinting at the drop.

“Nah, I’m getting my fill of fun just watching you two, to be honest.” She beamed.

Keith and Lance continued until they eventually thought of something even better.

“Let’s raft off the waterfall!” Lance exclaimed as he handed Keith an inner tube to match his own.

“This is so stupid.” Keith laughed as Lance struggled to balance himself in the shallow white waters before the fall. The taller boy squealed as he capsized on the rocks.

“Dude, help!” Lance feigned helplessness as he lay ‘dying’ on the rocks. Keith was doubled over with laughter until Lance eventually keeled over, pretending to die.

“Sucks. Bye.” Keith found the perfect spot to launch his tube, leaving Lance’s corpse behind him. He cheered and shouted as he was sent flying over the edge on his tube. The landing was a little rougher than expected, though. He ended up flipping over.

“Hey Mullet! Show me how you did that!” Lance bellowed from above.  

Eventually, they grew tired enough to stop. They joined the others who had long since dried off to lounge around on the shore. They were having an argument about what to do when attacked by a bear. Not exactly the most comforting topic miles deep into the mountains, but Keith didn’t complain.

When offered a snack by Hunk, he declined, only to have his stomach start growling immediately after. Hunk snickered, and Keith cursed his body for betraying him.

“Just eat, man. It’s not like we’re gonna judge you. We all love food here.” Lance explaining through bites of his sandwich.

Keith tried to argue the point, but Lance saw right through him. He shoved a sandwich at Keith before exclaiming, “No ‘buts!’”

It was annoying, but Lance was right. They had been entertaining themselves for so long Keith hadn’t noticed that the sun was much lower in the sky now.

“What time is it now?” He asked.

“Hmm,” Hunk checked his watch. “Ah, fudge. It’s like four PM. We should head back soon so we can start dinner.”

“Wow, four PM already?” Lance questioned, to which Allura beamed.

“Yes, well, time flies when you’re having fun!”

_Having fun?_

Keith couldn’t really deny it, he had been having fun, and it was all Lance’s fault. Damn him.

The boy in question nudged him with his elbow.

“You wanna go one more time? We won’t see a place like this again for who knows how long.” Lance asked, his voice lilting in admiration of the beautiful picture of the waterfall and cove.

It made Keith’s heart twist.

“No, I’m already dry.” He declined. He wanted to go again so badly, but he suddenly felt detached. Maybe it had been a mistake to let himself get swept up in Lance’s rhythm again. He fell right back into it so easily, so naturally. But this wasn’t where he belonged, and he didn’t want to forget that.

These were not his friends. Lance was not his friend.

“What? Come onnnn.” Lance whined, which Keith ignored.

“Go by yourself.”

And with Lance’s expression like a kicked puppy, Keith felt his walls start to rebuild themselves. He wasn’t sure how to feel about it, but he knew it was safe.

And safe was all that mattered.

More than anything, he just didn’t want to get hurt again. Even if it meant hurting others.

He finished off his sandwich before getting up to leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hhhhh I’m sorry Keith is being a big emo I can't help myself when it comes to angst apparently. He does have his reasons, however.
> 
> Again I had to cut this chapter short cause it was running a bit too long~ Look forward to Camping Shenanigans Pt. 2 soon, and then it’s back on the road!


	6. 6/21/18 Swallow Falls State Park

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I was as pure as a river_   
>  _But now I think I'm possessed_   
>  _You put a fever inside me_   
>  _And I've been cold since you left_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also I feel like I should note this; The reason I’m putting Halsey lyrics at the beginning of each chapter is not (just) because I’m a cringy mess! The lyrics actually represent Lance’s thoughts/mindset for each chapter, so keep that in mind going forward ;)  
> As always thank you so much for the comments and kudos, they mean the world <3  
> Enjoy~!

Keith's mood swings were not a new occurrence by any means.

When they were younger, they manifested mostly in tears. Keith hadn’t had the best childhood, so Lance had been sympathetic towards his friend. He had always been there to lend a shoulder to cry on for Keith.

The swings had gotten worse with age, however. What was once so easy for Lance to handle became an enigma.

Gone were the simple moments of comfort whenever Keith felt upset, replaced by a fiery temper. Keith became closed off, no longer being as open with his emotions as he aged. Lance wasn’t sure what had changed, because Keith wouldn’t share. Maybe nothing had changed, he had thought; maybe it was just a phase he was going through.

Yet they were adults now, and it seemed not much had changed.  

Lance still struggled to understand him to no avail.

It was like a bad case of deja vu. Lance thought they had been having a good time, but Keith had quickly turned sour again, seemingly out of nowhere.

He was so frustrating sometimes. When had Lance stopped being a comfort to him? It was painful to think about. Lance didn’t think he had done anything to spark the change in Keith. Not that he knew of, at least. Lance had a habit of being oblivious at times, but he wasn't an idiot.

And though Keith was the most frustrating person on planet Earth, when he had stormed away on his own at the river, Lance felt compelled to follow him. However, his friends urged him to give the other some space.

_I have given him space. I’ve given him four years worth of space._

Lance’s arms folded across his chest as he sagged in his chair. This was the exact reason he had been so opposed to Keith coming on the trip.

Not because of his mood swings. Not because of his attitude. Not even because of the fact that the only way Keith seemed to know how to solve problems was to run away.

The reason was that Lance knew as soon as Keith was back, he wouldn’t be able to help himself. He wanted Keith back in his life.

He had spent the past four years convincing himself that he didn’t, but all it really took was Keith’s hypnotic smile to break his will. He was so weak.

He missed Keith. He missed their sleepovers, their pillow forts, their rivalry that Keith swore they didn’t really have. He missed his smile, his laugh, and he even missed their arguments sometimes.

It wasn’t fair that he had this much of a hold on his heart. Keith didn't deserve it; he had abandoned him without a second thought all those years ago.

“Hey man, snap out of it. Just give Keith some time to cool off.” Hunk reassured, but Lance didn’t perk up.

“I already told you guys, he hates me. He said it himself.” Lance’s lip downturned as he slunk further down his chair. Pidge rolled her eyes as the others began to pack up their chairs and the cooler.

“You two are so stuck in high school. And that’s coming from an actual high schooler.”

_Stuck in high school?_

“...Maybe you’re right.” Lance admitted. Pidge smirked and reminded him that she’s  _always_  right.

It was true that Lance was still hung up on all that drama from the past, but more than that, Pidge’s words made him realize something.

They were still acting exactly as they had been back then. Just, with like, a lot more tension now.  If Lance wanted to win Keith back, they were going to have to move past their old habits.

After all, those habits are what broke them apart in the first place.

Lance shot up from his seat, reinvigorated. He clapped his hands together before shouting an “Alright!”

“Ooooh, loverboy’s all fired up now.” Pidge snickered, and Lance blushed.

“No no no! This is different. When I’m charming the ladies, it comes naturally.” Lance ran a hand through his hair, spurred on by the laughter of his friends. “Keith, is like, an alien or something. This is delicate work.”

“So you admit you’re trying to charm Keith?” Allura’s excitement was palpable.

Shit. Allura had caught his mistake, and now she would never let him live it down. He sputtered, failing to provide a good excuse.

“W-whaaaat? Pfft. Nah. Keith is, like, way to edgy for my tastes anyway.” He tried to play it off, but his friends stared at him, unamused.

Lance’s heart dropped into his stomach. His friend’s often teased him about his ‘obsession’ with Keith. When the two were still friends, they would swear up and down that they were going to get married someday. The thought never really turned Lance off, and that was kinda weird. He was surprised to realize he could see himself marrying his best friend someday. In a platonic way, of course. Y’know, platonic marriage is totally a thing, right?

They were like an old married couple anyway, is what Pidge would always say.

_Yeah! So nothing much would change if we did get married. We would just, like, hold hands and kiss and stuff._

He didn't know why that thought hadn’t weirded him out either. His mind would often race at night.

_Did he want to kiss Keith? He didn't really know. He figured he wouldn’t mind. He had liked guys before._

Then, after Keith had left, things were different. His friends didn’t really tease him so much anymore, but he could tell they knew Keith was still on his mind. The time away grew longer and longer as Lance waited for Keith to come crawling back and apologize. Then they could just move on and go back to normal. But that time never came.

Four years is a long time to think things over, and eventually, Lance had come to an epiphany; he was an idiot after all.

He had liked Keith, and he hadn’t even realized it. Hell, even if he had realized it, he might’ve never acted on his feelings. He wouldn’t have wanted to risk their friendship. Of course, that was out the window by then, anyway.   

But realizing his feelings was the worst possible thing for him at that time. It didn’t help, it didn't make him feel better, and it certainly didn’t bring Keith back. Whenever he was down about it, his friends wouldn’t press the issue.

There was one exception, once when Hunk had directly asked him if he missed Keith. Lance had broken down a bit after that, but Hunk was there to confide in.

He had good friends, and he loved them all dearly.  He could at least be honest with them.

“Ok fine.” Lance mustered up his courage. “I like Keith.”

He had never said it out loud before, and the feeling gave him an adrenaline rush that rivaled the waterfall.

His friend’s expressions softened at the admission, Allura even breathed a sigh of relief.

“Yeah, man, we know.” Hunk said softly.

“I’m so glad you finally admitted it, Lance. I’m proud of you.” Allura beamed.

“No shit, Sherlock.” Pidge smirked.

Lance quickly forgot his embarrassment and lunged at Pidge. She shrieked like the gremlin she is as he ruffled her short hair. She ended up smacking Lance in the face, but it was well worth it for all the years of relentless teasing she had subjected him to.

He felt lighter now, like a weight off his chest. He sprung to action, helping his friends collect the rest of their supplies before getting ready to heading back. He scooped up all the folded chairs and even hoisted the ice chest onto his shoulder. He wiggled his eyebrows at his friends as he began to back away, nearly tripping over a stray pebble. Man, this stuff was heavier than he had anticipated, but screw it, he felt like he could fly right now. He could do anything.

“Ah yes, I’m sure Keith will be very impressed.” Pidge said as she deflated her pizza floatie. Man, Lance’s got to get one of those.

“Hey, don't misunderstand. I said I like Keith, not, ‘I want to date Keith.’” Lance and the others began their walk back.

“Wait, there’s a difference?” Hunk deadpanned.

“Of course!” Lance bellowed.

He wasn't kidding when he said handling Keith was a delicate thing. As of right now, he wasn’t even sure they could be called friends, let alone a candidate for dating.

He had remained friends with Keith despite his feelings before, and he could do it again. Although, he didn’t actually know about his feelings at that time, so maybe it didn’t really count…

Whatever!

“I think Lance is saying... He just wants to be friends with Keith for now. Which, by the way, is a choice I wholeheartedly support.” Allura said to Hunk, who hummed in understanding.

“Ding, ding! Ten points to Allura!” Lance laughed.

He had to win Keith back as a friend, first and foremost. Besides, he wasn’t sure Keith would even return his feelings.

And you know what? Even if he didn’t, that’d be okay. He just wanted Keith back in his life.

He wanted him to come over for dinner every night, listen to Lance complain about school, babysit the kids with him, fill him in on everything he’s missed, and all the other things he craved so deeply about their lost friendship. He just wanted it all back.

He would even apologize. Even though he did, like, nothing wrong, he would apologize anyway!

That’s how much Keith meant to him.

 

 

* * *

 

 

When they had returned to the campsite, they found Keith attempting to start a fire. And failing miserably.

He looked embarrassed, but Lance knew he was just trying to help. The concept of Keith being so helpless out here brought out a soft side of Lance. He wasn’t used to seeing Keith fail at anything.

Despite the fact that Keith had been so rude taking off, the others immediately offered to help him. Lance knew they wouldn’t hold Keith’s standoffishness against him; they knew it was mostly because of Lance anyway.

Pidge and Allura attempted to show Keith how it was done. While they clearly knew how to start a fire, they were having a little trouble executing it. Lance decided to step in.

“Here, can I try?” He held out a hand, and the girls handed over the sticks and stones. Lance inched closer to Keith, making sure that he could follow his demonstration.

“Ah, first of all, you’re missing tinder.” Lance pointed out. He reached behind himself to collect some dry grass and dead leaves before throwing them into the pit.

“Alright, so, you have to hit the rocks juuust right to create a spark.” Lance instantly got it, and Keith followed along hesitantly. He didn't get a spark.

“Harder than that, genius.” Lance chuckled playfully, signaling that he meant no harm with his words. Keith gave him an apprehensive look, before hitting the rocks together again with more force. Finally, a spark.

“Good!” Lance praised. “Now, you just gotta let that spark catch.” Lance leaned in closer to the pit, producing another spark that caught the tinder and began to glow. He leaned in close, cupping the flicker before blowing gently.

It grew to a small flare, before spreading across the tinder and wood.

Proud of his work, Lance jumped up framed the fire with his signature jazz hands.

Keith kept his expression dismal as he stared blankly at the boy.

“Aww, man. You killed my jazz hands.” Lance said, deflated.

Lance could tell Keith was chewing the inside of his cheek. It was a nervous habit of his, one that Lance would always swat at him for doing in the past. He had something he wanted to say.

“What is it?” Lance asked, choosing a direct approach.

“Nothing… It’s just,” Keith looked away, keeping his eyes on the growing flames. “You know so much.”

For a second, Lance couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Was that… A compliment?

“Oh? Yeah, I guess.” Lance stammered, almost forgetting to reply.

“Oh, you guys got it! Good job.” Hunk bounced over to the fire, carrying the tools to set up a spit. Oh, hell yes. Hunk was cooking the old fashioned way tonight, and Lance’s stomach could hardly wait.   

“Hunk! What’s on the menu? I’m starving.” Lance sauntered over to his friend, resting an arm on his shoulder.

“Well, it wouldn’t be camping if we didn’t have fish! I think I’ll compliment it with some lemon pepper seasoning. Oh, and we picked up some veggies from the store too so I’m gonna grill them for a side.” Hunk began to ramble on passionately about dinner, and Lance’s stomach rumbled along with the images.

“Yes, yes, sounds delicious, now when can we eat?” Lance couldn't wait. Hunk’s cooking reminded him of home.

“Well, we gotta catch the fish first.” Hunk said with an unspoken ‘Duh’ lingering. “Any volunteers?”

“Woah! Fresh caught fish? Hunk, you’re a genius.” Lance jumped up excitedly. “I volunteer! I love fishing.”

Allura rummaged through the trunk of the SUV to find a sturdy-looking pole and a box, proceeding to hand them off to Lance.

“Anyone else?” Hunk looked around expectantly. Allura shrugged undecidedly and Pidge had already settled into a chair around the campfire with her PSVita.

Man, these people don’t know what they’re missing. The only person left was Keith, but there’s no chance he was going to volunteer, as he was still too busy brooding over nothing.

“I’ll go too, I guess.” Keith said, instantly making Lance eat his metaphorical words.

“You will?” Hunk’s eyes lit up.

“You will!?” Lance echoed, feeling like he had just stumbled headfirst into the Twilight Zone.

Keith? Agreeing to participate? In an outdoor activity? Lance literally had to pinch himself.

“Ow!” Lance yelped as he pinched his arm, earning a look from the others.

“Y’know what, nevermind.” Keith’s prickly exterior came back instantly at Lance’s theatrics, and he caught Pidge facepalming from the corner of his eye. Okay, yeah, so that was a bad move on his part.

“No!” Keith jumped at Lance’s sudden outburst. “I mean, uh, I could use a fishing buddy. So, really, you should come along.” It seemed impossible to play it off as Keith glared suspiciously at him. He felt his pulse quicken, worried that he had really just blown it.

“...I guess.” He shrugged.

Relief washed over Lance.

Now was his chance to make up with Keith, once and for all. He was thankful for whatever demons had possessed Keith to make him volunteer in the first place. It took all of his self-control to not jump for joy.

Allura immediately jumped to action, probably before Keith could change his mind, and retrieved a second pole from the car.

Keith said nothing as he gathered the items from Allura before disappearing

“Well, that was… unexpected?” Lance quickly gathered his own gear before quickly following after Keith. He stopped in a moment of hesitation.   

“Go get him, loverboy.” Pidge winked at him. Hunk shot him some finger guns from behind and Allura just giggled.

Something about his friends cheering him on like that made him eager, but he had to remind himself that this wasn’t about pursuing his feelings for Keith. This was about making amends!

He simply waved them off before trailing after Keith.

They trotted down the slope and made it to the riverbed in a matter of seconds. Keith set their equipment down and scanned the water, followed by Lance, who did the same.

The water here was shallow and running at a tranquil pace. You could walk across the river if you wanted to, or even hop across on the dozens on rocks scattered across. The sun was beginning to set as well, dying the waters a glittering shade of orange-ish blue.

Lance had expected to have to help Keith set up his rod, but when he turned to look the boy was already silently pulling the line through.

“You know how to fish?” Lance quipped, and Keith shot him a disgruntled glare.

“Why do you say it like that?”

“Well, uh, cause… y’know?” Lance struggled to find the right words. He felt like he was on eggshells here. “It just seemed like you didn’t have much experience camping is all!”

“I mean, I don’t.” Keith shrugged.

Phew, minefield avoided.

“Shiro taught me.” Keith continued unexpectantly, but Lance gave him his full attention as he set up the bait with precision. “He used to take me out to the beach to fish every weekend when we were younger. I actually really enjoy fishing.” Lance caught the glint of a smile forming on his lips.

“Used to?” Lance searched Keith’s face, watching his fond expression drop.  

“I stopped going. My weekends became… something else.” His voice sounded heavy, and Lance couldn’t help but press him. His concern was real.

“What? What do you mean?” Lance leaned closer without realizing, startling Keith. The dark-haired boy bit his lip before stepping away from Lance.

Shit. Lance must’ve pushed too hard.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Okay, yeah, no problem. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t wanna.” Lance scratched his neck nervously. Keith glanced at him before casting his line into the river.

It flew with grace and got a respectable distance. Lance let out a whistle.

“You gonna help? Or just make me do all the work?” Keith scoffed. Lance was jolted to action, scrambling to catch up to Keith.

Dammit, he had gotten so lost in conversation he had let Keith get a head start.

“Yeah, man, I’m gonna catch wayyyy more fish than you.”

Keith’s snicker only lit a fire in Lance even more. He would show him who's the real boss at fishing here.

“Don’t believe me, pretty boy?” Lance got his line set up and quickly baited his hook.

“Watch this.” Lance stepped into the river, finding a rock to perch himself upon. He cast his line with a flick of his wrist, watching it glide seamlessly before landing in the water, several feet further than Keith’s.

Lance whipped around excitedly to see Keith’s impressed face, but he was met with only a sharply raised eyebrow.

“You’re all style and no substance. I’m still gonna catch more than you.” Keith taunted nonchalantly.

“Yeah? Well, I’m going to catch the biggest one! Quality over quantity, baby.”

“Heh. You’re on.”

And just like that, Keith came back out of his shell. It was an easy feat for Lance to pull off; he had done it for years. He knew all the little things that made Keith tick, and competition was a sure fire. 

True to his word, Keith began to reel in fish one after another. Lance didn’t bother to inspect them or anything, and Keith just kept throwing them back. They were all too small to eat.

“Aww, whatsamatter Keith? You keep pulling in duds.”

“At least I can catch something.”

“You’re gonna catch these hands if you don’t shut it!”

And then they were laughing, and Lance was having so much fun even though Keith wasn’t kidding when he said he couldn’t catch anything.

Keith caught a few prospective catches after that, but they kept going.

Eventually, Lance couldn’t stand it anymore.

“Urgh! What the hell. This never happens.” Lance grumbled as he reeled in another empty line. On any other occasion, he was a fishing expert, but of course, the second he wants to impress Keith the fish are suddenly out to get him.

“Maybe it’s your location. I wasn’t kidding when I said you were all style.” Keith offered.

Lance lamented giving up his spot on the rock, but Keith might be right. Changing up his position might help.

“Ah, fine, fine.” Lance chucked his pole back onto the riverbed next to Keith before getting down.

But he made a misstep on his way. One of the smaller rocks he was using for his footing was covered in something slimy, probably moss, and Lance’s feet slipped out from underneath him.

He didn’t even have time to yell as he slid feet-first into the river.

“Lance!” Keith dropped his pole and jumped over to the fallen boy. Lance felt his heart jump at the concern in Keith’s voice, especially considering all the fall did was soak his pants and hurt his ass.

But hey, if Keith wanted to be his knight in shining armor, he wouldn't complain.

Keith made his way through the ankle-deep water with his eyes glued to Lance.

“Are you oka-”

Keith’s sentence was abruptly ended as he tripped forward over a rock he clearly didn’t see. Lance was splashed with water as Keith fell at his feet.

Keith landed on his shins, catching himself before his face was submerged in the water.

Lance could only stare wide-eyed at the spectacle they had made of themselves. Lance’s jacket fell disheveled on his shoulders as he sat with his legs splayed in front of him, wearing a dumbfounded expression, and Keith couldn’t bear to lift his face from staring at the water as they sat in silence. Luckily, neither of them seemed to be hurt.

Come to think of it, this was actually kind of hilarious.

A breathless laughter began to spill from his lips, and Keith lifted his head to stare at him with his mouth agape. He was blushing, too.

Lance began to laugh harder at his cute expression.

Idiots. They were both such idiots.

“What’s so funny!?” Keith lifted himself into a sitting position as he balled his fists. Lance just couldn’t resist at that point.

Screw making amends, Lance was weak.

“I guess…” Lance choked on a giggle before catching his breath. “I guess you could say we’re really falling for each other.” Lance barely got the cheesy joke out between his fits of laughter.

Keith’s face turned a shade of red to rival his jacket, and Lance savored the downright adorable reaction. He abruptly shut his mouth into a downturned pout.

“How are you even a real person?” Keith muttered, bemused, yet he kept eyes locked to Lance’s in the silence that followed. Lance let out a breath, before smiling tenderly at the grumpy, sopping wet mess of a boy at his feet.

“You love me.”

It was a bold declaration, yet it came out tentative and unsure. If anything, it was more of a question than a statement. Keith’s eyes widened in the thoughtful silence that overcame him, and Lance wished he could unsay things. He really just couldn’t control his damn mouth sometimes.

He remembered last night, walking outside to find Keith in a heated conversation. He hadn't meant to eavesdrop, it all just happened so fast. _‘I hate him!’_ The hurt he had felt then returned, making him feel like a fool.

If Keith had ever loved him at all, that time was probably over now.

The sullen thought was buried as Keith suddenly twitched, eyes narrowing and brows furrowed.

“What is that noise?” He asked.

Lance, confused, took his eyes off Keith to look around.

He could only hear his own breathing and the rush of the water. He focused, closing his eyes.

He could hear something, very faintly. It was a sound he couldn't place, but it was somehow familiar. Like a child’s rattle? Or a zipper being pulled up?

Keith suddenly shot up from the water, and Lance had been so deep in concentration that he shouted from the sudden movement.

“The line!” Keith jumped to action, turning to make his way back to the shore.

“The line?” Lance called after him. He then remembered what they had been doing here in the first place. “Oh shit, the line!”

Keith scrambled to pick up his pole, and sure enough, the reel was spinning wildly.

“Holy shit, that thing must be huge!” Lance shirked off his soaking wet jacket to run to Keith’s side. The dark-haired boy’s eyes were laser-focused now, grabbing the reel and tugging the pole back in an attempt to gain control.

Lance balled his fists, foot tapping anxiously against the ground as Keith fought with the monster of a catch that must be on the other side.

Keith let out a groan of frustration as it refused to budge.

“Do you need help?” Lance stepped up, eager to be a part of this.

“No, I…” Keith grit his teeth as he used all his strength to pull back the reel, but it was in vain. He huffed. “Actually, fuck it. I need help.” He admitted.

Lance bit back a laugh before grabbing the pole from Keith, taking over the fight.

Wow. Okay, now he understands why Keith was struggling. He would’ve sworn they were reeling in a goddamn boulder if he couldn’t feel it tugging back.

Lance decided to bust out a few tricks he had up his sleeve, learned from his father. He worked with the current and tugged at the perfect angles to bring the possible fish closer.

“I can see it!” Keith pointed, and Lance saw it too. Sure enough, it was an actual fish.  

“Come on, come on, come on.” Lance chanted under his breath as it grew nearer, before deciding on the perfect moment. He yanked up hard, and the fish followed the line out of the water with a splash. Keith gasped before lurching forward to catch the line, with the biggest fish Lance had ever seen dangling off the end.

Keith’s mouth was agape with amazement as the behemoth thrashed around before quieting down.

“Lance that was… amazing.” Keith actually complimented him, and he felt his insides melt.

He was still unsure where they stood, but at least he had managed to impress him like he’d wanted to. Hell, if nothing else, he’d impressed himself.

“Guess we can throw the others back. This one is definitely the winner.” Lance admired the size and beauty of the creature as Keith laid it in the bucket with the others.

Keith hummed happily in agreement, and Lance was overcome by his own bravado.

“Heh. Told you I’d catch the biggest one.”

“What!? That was my catch.”

“Uh, Hello? Did you not just see my reel it in with the skill of a master angler?”

“My pole, my catch.”

“Oh that is bullshit and you know it!”

Keith snorted before finally admitting defeat.

“Hey!” An unexpected voice called out from the top of the slope. Lance turned to see Pidge looking down on them with her hands on her hips.

“Are you two done yet!? We’re freakin’ starving up here.” She groaned.

Lance and Keith shared a satisfied look.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Lance let out a sigh of indescribable contentment as he polished off his paper plate. The food was incredible, and Hunk had revered them as fishing gods when they had presented their catch.

The fire was blazing now as they all sat around it, finishing up their meal. It was one of the only sources of light now as the sun had disappeared from the sky.

“Time to break out the marshmallows and booze.” Pidge cracked her knuckles.

“Nu-uh, just marshmallows for you, young lady.” Hunk corrected, pointing a fork accusingly at her. She slumped in her chair, arms folded.

Lance took it upon himself to hand out the ‘booze,’ which was really just fancy beer. Stella Artois; the champagne of beer, Allura had called it. He grabbed enough for everyone, handing one off to Allura, then Hunk, and eventually settling on Keith, who shook his head at the offer.

“No thanks, I don’t drink anymore.”

_Anymore?_ From what Lance remembered, he was never much of a drinker in the first place. Weird.

“Oh, okay. If you change your mind feel free to help yourself, man.”

Naturally, Pidge handled the marshmallows. Keith decided to at least participate in that, which made Lance feel at ease.

They made s’mores as they roasted the marshmallows, and Lance was able to revel in his favorite part of camping. Sitting around the campfire, drinking and poking at the flames, telling stupid jokes and scary stories. This was what he lived for. Even if he missed home, he treasured moments like these with his friends. And Keith was there, too; something he had never thought to picture when looking forward to these moments. That Keith would be sandwiched between his friends, gradually blooming from awkward pity laughs to full-blown snorting his soda out mouth at every dumb pun made, growing wide-eyed and timid in what might be fear at every possibly-fake ghost encounter story, and even scarfing down s’mores faster than Hunk could keep up with.

His prickly exterior was finally fading, walls lowering more and more with each day. Lance hoped he would continue at this pace.

Lance had to admit Keith was cute when he was angry. The pout of his lip and the faint blush of frustration across his cheeks; totally dreamy. It always gave him the urge to pull him close and ruffle his dumb hair. He didn’t, of course, because he didn’t want to lose a hand, but still.

However, this was his favorite side of Keith. As much as Keith would fight it, he was a genuine person with real emotions other than just ‘angry’ and ‘emo.’ He loved seeing him laugh until there were tears in his eyes, bite his lip in anticipation, watch his eyes sparkle, alight with flames of fire.

And Lance found himself staring more and more, and Keith wouldn’t even catch him because he was too wrapped up in the conversations now, even leading them, at times. He was doing what he always swore to Lance was impossible; he was making friends. New friends. Friends that weren’t just Lance and Shiro.

Lance swelled with pride, but he also didn’t want to be left behind. Selfish, yes, but true.

So when he noted that Keith was one of those people, y’know, the kind that burns their marshmallow to a blackened crisp before eating it, he just couldn’t keep his mouth shut.

“You might as well just keep going and eat the ashes.” Lance smirked, and Keith sneered back.

“They taste better like this, yours are just raw.” Keith quipped. Lance nearly choked on his beer.

“Raw!? Did you just call my marshmallows raw?” Lance’s laugh came straight from his belly and he couldn’t stop it, egged on by the bubbly feeling the alcohol left in his head. Breathless, he pointed at Keith to tease him as he laughed. Keith grimaced, before pulling his charred marshmallow from the flames.

“I’m serious! Try it!” Keith shoved the stick toward’s Lance’s face, and he had a knee-jerk reaction to wretch.

“No way!” Lance stuck out his tongue. “Huuuuunk! Keith is disgracing the culinary arts by trying to feed me a lump of charcoal!”

Rather than aid him in his time of need, Hunk nervously laughed. “Actually, completely blackening the marshmallow is a great way to bring out its natural flavors. It also changes the texture to be more satisfyingly gooey, so I get the appeal.”

The betrayal never ends. Lance moaned in agony.

“See? Try it!” Keith insisted.

“Get that abomination away from me!” Lance nearly tipped over in his chair, catching himself on his feet to back away slowly, and Keith leapt up to follow him.

Lance saw his life flash before his eyes several times as Keith chased him around the campsite, still brandishing the charred confection like a weapon. Lance wailed as Keith gained on him. Being in track gave him an obvious advantage, but that advantage was stripped away by the fact that Lance had had approximately three more beers than zero, which was currently the number to beat. Whoops, that was a branch.

He tripped forward, before turning on his back to beg Keith for mercy. He stood menacingly a few feet away, brandishing his edible weapon of mass destruction.  

The others only giggled airily at his misery as Keith came in for the kill. Lance waited for the disgusting taste to hit him as he bit down on the marshmallow in defeat. And he kept waiting.

“Oh my God…” Lance said, wiping the tears from his eyes. “That’s… delicious?”

The initial crunch had scared him, but now his mouth was overflowing with a flavor that couldn’t compare to his own, uh, ‘raw’ marshmallows. It was smokey and gooey, and not too overbearing.

Keith huffed an ‘I told you so.’

Lance and Keith spent the rest of the night burning their marshmallows to a crisp and having the best s’mores Lance had never thought possible.

 

 

* * *

 

  

“Where’s Keith?” Lance looked around, taking another inventory of the faces in the tent.

The others continued to unfurl their sleeping bags, lining them up together in close proximity. The tent was an extra large, but it was still going to be a tight squeeze.

“Hmm not sure. He was just here a second ago.” Hunk offered.

“I mean, his sleeping bag is already set up.” Pidge pointed to the red bedding at the very edge of the tent, next to Hunk. They had bought it for him before the trip, and Lance had insisted it should be red when his friends had tried to buy some generic tan color.   

Unsettled, Lance finished laying down his own bag before excusing himself from the tent. He looked around outside, squinting in the darkness. Without the fire blazing, only the moon and the stars offered a soft, dim glow of light.

His heart and mind raced with worst-case scenarios when he didn’t see the boy anywhere. He called his name, but there was no answer. Lance checked the riverbed and found nothing.

He scoured the area around the camp, looking through the trees before finally laying eyes on a grassy trail that had been recently walked on. He followed it, eventually dead-ending at a cliffside that opened up to look over the vast expanse of mountainous terrain, covered with trees and a river cutting and flowing through. An amazing view.

“Lance?”

The voice made him yelp, before turning to face the owner. Perched atop a large boulder to his right, Keith sat with his legs crossed and arms supporting his weight behind his back.

“What are you doing out here?”

“That’s my line, dude.”  Lance let his heartbeat settle, before scolding Keith. “You had me worried. I know you like your alone time or whatever, but you should at least say something.”

Keith’s lids lowered in guilt, but he said nothing in response.

He didn’t really have to say sorry, Lance knew. Keith was never good at apologizing, so Lance stopped expecting it from him.

“...Stargazing.” Keith muttered, eyes ironically glued to the ground.

“Huh? Ah. I see.” Silence follow between them. “Do you mind if I join you?”

Keith finally raised his eyes to meet with Lance’s.

“S’fine, I guess.”

There was plenty of room on the rock for both of them to sit far from each other, but as Keith scooted over, Lance decided to take the spot right next to him instead. Lance took one look above him and realized why Keith was so enraptured.

He loved camping for the fact that the stars were always so clear out here. No city smog or cloud to cover the view, but this was something extra special.

Not only were the stars glittering in masses, but the night sky was dashed with colors, too. Tad bits of red, some blue, but mostly a dusty violet color. Their favorite colors, Lance noted. It was breathtaking, and the two sat in silent appreciation for minutes. Lance picked out his favorite constellations and pointed them out to Keith.

Admittedly, he was a total space nerd, but Keith was too.

“Hey, listen…” Keith interrupted the peaceful silence with his own soft voice, which Lance thought was just as soothing. He hummed in curiosity. “About… well, everything, I…” Keith hesitated. “I’m sorry.”

Lance swore his ears had just malfunctioned.

“Huh?” Lance’s confusion only seemed to wound Keith, but he persisted.

“I’m sorry. I’ve been a dick to you this whole trip, and I don’t think you deserve it.”

A whole, genuine apology. Lance must’ve died and gone to heaven somewhere along the trip. In his amazement, he reminded himself to respond before it was too late. Keith was elusive like that.

“Huh? Oh, nah it’s fine, man.” Lance smiled, and he sincerely meant it. Whatever hurt he had been feeling about their arguments and harsh words felt like it was melting away. He had expected Keith to go about their fights the usual way, burying them away and pretending nothing ever happened. This was new, and it felt good. It felt good to acknowledge it for once.

“And, just so you know… I don’t hate you.”

The words went straight to his heart, and Lance swore he would keep replaying them in his head until the day he died. Where was this affectionate and sincere side of Keith coming from all of a sudden? Maybe it was the stars? He would have to remember to thank them later.

“Pshh, of course you don’t, I’m amazing.” Lance played it cool instead of showing his excitement, and Keith only rolled his eyes.

“Okay, I take it back.” He joked.

“Nope! No take-backsies! The deal is sealed. You made your choice.”

Keith let out another one of his rare genuine laughs as Lance rocked their shoulders together, and Lance found himself studying every inch of his face. He could feel himself falling harder for this boy when his bubbly smile lit the space around them brighter than the stars.

His own thoughts made him cringe; he was known to be cheesy, but like, damn.

Keith settled back, giving Lance a quizzical look.

“What’re you lookin’ at?” More playful than hostile, for once. Lance sighed a smile.

“Just… Your smile is too rare.” Lance whispered, though it was just the two of them.

Keith’s expression became unreadable, and Lance held his breath. Was that not okay to say?

“Not that that’s a bad thing! Y’know what they say... “ Lance scratched nervously at his neck as he desperately searched for something clever to say.

Why were there no cutesy sayings about this??? Was this a Lance-exclusive problem? He panicked.

“Q-quality over quantity?”

Keith raised his brows at that, and Lance considered flinging himself off the cliff. Anything to end his suffering right now.

Keith snorted, breaking the weird silence, before snickering into his hand.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you get tongue-tied before.”

“Heh…” Lance faked a laugh along with Keith, his heart still beating a mile a minute.

_What can I say? I guess you just have that effect on me._ He left the words unspoken.

They should probably be heading back before the others get worried.

Lance snuck a glance at Keith, whose eyes reflected the stars as he stared up in adoration, the faintest smile playing on his lips.

_Maybe just a little longer..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise lance pov! I was having some trouble writing this chapter, and i know that whenever i have writer's block the best thing for me to do is switch pov’s, so I hope you enjoyed that!


	7. 6/22/2018 Oakland, MD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I was as pure as a river_   
>  _But now I think I'm possessed_   
>  _You put a fever inside me_   
>  _And I've been cold since you left_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jkbdsjkdjsakdaj i feel bad that I can’t update more often but being an adult is hard. I’m really happy you guys are liking the story so far and i'm so excited to write more! There’s so much adventure to come so I hope you’re excited too <3 
> 
> Also, slight NSFW warning for this chapter. Nothing explicit, but some suggestive wording :x
> 
> Thank you all!

Last night had been an experience, to say the least.

Keith didn't know what time they had finally gone to bed, but he knows that it would’ve been a lot sooner if it wasn’t for Lance. Being packed into the tent like sardines apparently brought out his inner thirteen-year-old girl at a sleepover.

Rolling with that picture, Hunk was the naive, innocent one that made the mistake of falling asleep first, only to be made a human canvas. Once that was over, Allura was the one who tried to quiet things back down by settling everyone into their sleeping bags. Pidge, however, had other ideas, by being the one who would interrupt the rare moments of silence with deeply philosophical and highly pointless questions.

‘Is cereal a soup?’

‘Am I the only one who ever thinks about the fact that there’s probably colors we can’t see? Isn’t that wild?’

And Lance. Oh my God, Lance.  

Keith didn’t know what time it was, but Lance was acting like it was three AM and everything was the funniest shit he’s ever heard of. He was laughing until he cried actual, real tears over _his own jokes._ Keith was going to smother him with a pillow the next time he quoted a stupid fucking vine or meme, if he didn’t laugh himself to death first.

Keith was the one that just wanted everyone to go the fuck to sleep already.

Eventually, he got his wish, and so slept deeply that he didn’t dream. He was unceremoniously awoken by Hunk’s arm hitting him in the face, however. At least it was morning. He didn’t feel like he had gotten much sleep, but then again, he didn’t yesterday either. He was used to running on fumes at this point.  

“Aw, man, I’m almost sad to go.” Hunk strolled over to Keith after washing the ink off his face in the river. He was a pretty good sport about it.

“Yeah…” Keith mindlessly agreed, but it was the truth. He’d been having fun here, and he worried things would go back to the way they were before once they left. Especially with Lance.

He was embarrassed to remember that they’d had a bit of a moment last night; one of those rare moments when Keith could tolerate Lance. In fact, he’d been so tolerable that Keith had even worked up the courage to apologize to him. The memory made Keith flustered now, unsure how to approach Lance. Were they friends now? He wasn’t really sure where they stood, but their interactions weren’t hostile anymore, which was probably a good thing.

The space looked barren now as they packed away all their equipment into the SUV. Pidge seems to take notice of them, skipping over and shutting her game off.

“Don’t look so down, kiddos. The best has yet to come, after all.” She grinned. Lance overheard her, moving to join the ever-growing circle.

“True, I’ve been wanting to see the Grand Canyon my whole life, so we have that to look forward to!” He chirped, optimistic as ever. Keith supposed that was something to look forward to, even if it was just a giant hole in the ground.

“No, you absolute donut, I’m talking about the World’s Largest Wind Chime! That’s the highlight of this trip.” Pidge waved Lance away. He gawked at her, opening his mouth to speak before closing it several times.

“Oh, yeah, for sure. I’m down for some windchime hype.” Hunk chuckled, earning a high-five from the girl.

Keith had to say, he was stuck firmly in Lance’s camp of not-very-hyped for the windchime. But hey, whatever floats your boat.

“Whatever, dorks.” Lance pinched the bridge of his nose before a growl rang out. “Ugh, I’m starving. Windchime or not, can we stop for breakfast ASAP?”

“Well, maybe if you four would help me load up this car instead of chatting we could leave faster!” Allura’s irritated tone shook them all to action, and they quickly began to help, muttering apologies shamefully.

The trunk slammed decidedly shut once they were finished.

Keith took one last look at the campsite, committing it to memory, before heaving himself into the SUV. He settled into his spot, buckling himself in before leaning back against the seat. The others buzzed with commotion as they found their spots, settling in and starting the car.

Lance sat in the middle seat again.

It dawned on Keith just how normal this was starting to feel as they drove away. Just a few days ago this exact situation was sending him into a panic.

The curves and windy roads seemed a lot less intimidating now than they did before. Maybe he hadn’t gotten enough sleep last night (Ahem, Lance.) he wondered as his eyelids felt heavy watching the trees fly by out the window.  

He decided to lean back into his seat even more. It wasn’t the most comfortable position, but he decided to rest his eyes for a few moments.

Just a few…

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Commotion roused Keith from his sleep sooner than he’d realized he had drifted off. The car began to ‘ding’ as seatbelts unclicked and doors opened.

Keith yawned before nuzzling his head into the slightly uncomfortable, stiff pillow he was leaning against.

Wait, did he have a pillow?

His eyes shot open and he was wide awake in seconds. Lance stared back at him with an equally bewildered expression.

_Oh my God, was he just using Lance’s shoulder as a pillow? No way, no way, no way._

Neither of them acknowledged what just happened as they turned away from each other, focusing on something else. Keith looked out the window in an attempt to calm his heartbeat.

The first thing he saw instantly lifted his spirits.

Beautiful golden arches and a familiar red-yellow color scheme, Keith’s stomach instantly reacted to the sight.

“Oh, good morning, Keith.” Pidge turned to face him from the front seat. “We were all starving for breakfast, and Lance said McDonald’s was your favorite.”

She was speaking to Keith, but her eyes glared wickedly at Lance. He huffed in response, and Keith wasn’t really following the mental war they were waging with their eyes. Either way, he was grateful.

“Yeah, it is. Thanks.” Keith still sounded a little groggy, but Pidge returned her attention to him, giving a polite nod and a smile. Lance whined about Pidge only ever being nice to Keith.

_Lance remembered it was my favorite…_

The thought pestered the back of his mind, though he tried in vain to push it away. Screw feelings, and screw Lance for making him feel things.

He sucked in a deep breath of fresh air as they stepped outside. They were back in the city now, and the air was unusually springy and cold for summer.

“Oh, thank God we have cell reception again. I need to call my mom.” Hunk pulled out his phone before dialing away. Keith realized it had been a while since he texted Shiro, so he was probably worried.

There was no line when they entered, and Keith typed a text as they walked.

 **9:45 AM - Keith:** I lived bitch.

He decided to keep it simple. Maybe he would give Shiro more details later. Maybe.

“Lance, that’s not how McDonald's works and you know it.” Pidge and Lance were standing just before the register, Pidge’s belligerent tone catching his attention.

“Well, maybe it should be!” Lance huffed, before strolling over to the young girl behind the register who looked like she’d rather be anywhere else.

“What can I get for y'all?” A strained pleasantry in her voice, she stared blankly at Lance.

“Hi, yes, two orders of McPancakes please.” Lance politely ordered as Pidge palmed her face in shame. Keith briefly wondered what the everloving fuck a ‘McPancake’ was before the spectacle continued.

“Okay, two orders of hotcakes. Anything else?” The girl raised a brow at Lance.

“Oh! I almost forgot to add a side of McHashbrowns. Also, do you guys have any McOrange Juice?”

Hunk choked back a giggle as Allura rolled her eyes.

“Stop ordering Mc-everything! Not everything at McDonald’s has Mc in the name!” Pidge looked ready to fight, but Hunk held her back.

The girl at the register had a look on her face that could only be described as, ‘Same Shit, Different Day,’ but she took his payment and finished up his order anyway.

The order was served quickly, and Lance grabbed his tray before nodding towards Keith.

“Where do you wanna sit?” He asked, before thrusting the tray into Keith’s hands.

“H-? What?”

“I ordered our McFood, now where do you wanna sit?” Lance reiterated without missing a beat. Keith’s confusion turned to sheepishness quickly, and he even glossed of the egregious use of ‘Mc’ because of it.

A million questions and possible ways to refuse muddled Keith’s mind until all he could muster was a quiet nod.

Lance seemed pleased with himself, and Keith quickly turned to find a booth. It’s not like their options were limited, the place was completely bare. They settled in across from each other and Lance took only one set of pancakes, leaving the rest for Keith.

His mind was still buzzing, and he wasn’t sure what to say. The polite thing to do would be to offer the other things to Lance, but he wasn’t sure he could form a proper sentence right now. Instead, he said nothing as he took a bite out of his hashbrowns.

The others finished ordered and got their food, but when they saw Lance and Keith, their actions were baffling. They turned around on their heels, even bumping into each other, before nervously laughing and settling at a table across the room.

What the hell? Were they mad at them or something?

However, Lance shot them a look that seemed anything but hostile before chowing down on his pancakes. Finally, Keith broke the silence between them.

“What do you want?” He asked suspiciously. Lance looked offended.

“Why do you always assume I want something? I’m just being nice.”

Keith wasn’t totally convinced, but he let it go.

“Oof, these pancakes taste like garbage. How do you like this place so much?” Lance stuck his tongue out for dramatic effect. Keith only shrugged. People could hate on McDonald's all they wanted, it wouldn’t change the fact that it was his favorite.  

“You are what you eat, I guess.” Keith said between mouthfuls. When he looked up again, he saw Lance staring at him in amazement. “What?” Keith pulled back, wondering if there was something on his face.

Lance’s stare broke, and he chuckled softly.

“You made a joke.”

Fuck man, he sure did. Was that the first time he had done that since this trip started? He couldn’t quite remember.

“And?” Keith slunk into his chair.

“Oh, nothing, nothing.” Lance sing-songed before resting his chin in his hands. “I just think you’re having more fun than you let on.”

Keith felt compelled to fight the accusation, if only so Lance would stop looking at him so smugly. But let’s face it, Keith knew he was a stubborn asshole. Shiro tried to convince him it was part of his charm, but was it really? When Keith really thought about it, he supposed he was having fun. He still wasn’t totally on board with the whole thing, but it wasn’t half as bad as he had made it out to be. He was even growing comfortable enough with Lance now to joke around with him again, hell, _even sleep on his shoulder._ Meaning now, not only was Shiro right, but so was Lance.

How could he admit defeat so easily? It was hard, okay?

“Whatever, just pass me some McNapkins.” Keith deadpanned.

Lance nearly spit out his bite of food, struggling to swallow it before bursting out into laughter.

“See!? It’s fun, right?” Lance giggled uncontrollably, slamming his fist against the table in his fit. Unfortunately, it was contagious.

Keith tried not to be as rowdy as Lance, burying his face into his folded arms on the table, silently snickering away.  

After everything they’ve been through, Keith never imagined that they would be sitting together, laughing uncontrollably at stupid jokes again.

It felt strangely natural. He felt his walls growing weaker and weaker. One good push from Lance and they might come crumbling down.

But if that happened, he might get hurt. Again.

The laughter died, and they finished their breakfast in a silence that teetered on awkward. Keith stopped responding to Lance’s dumb jokes, and he eventually backed off a bit, but he didn’t seem unhappy as a lazy smile still cornered his lips. The sight filled Keith with a warmth that kept the silence firmly on the ‘comfortable’ side of the spectrum.

He was scared to fall for Lance again, that was the bottom line, but that didn’t mean he had to be so harsh; a lesson he had learned while they were camping. So maybe it was okay to let people in, just a little bit. As long as they were back out as quickly as they came.

Keith finished scarfing down his breakfast just in time for the others to come join them, crowding around the booth.

“Ready for this? Six hours of pure, uninterrupted driving ‘til we hit Indiana.” Pidge winked. Everyone else groaned. Of course, Pidge didn’t mind, it just gave her more one-on-one time with her favorite video games, but everyone else was ready to suffer.

“Fuck it. Let’s get this over with.” Lance threw up his arms in defeat.

“We should pick up snacks at the convenience store across the street and use the restrooms before we’re off. Are you both ready?” Allura kindly asked them to hurry the hell up, and Lance and Keith cleaned off their table with haste.

The other three took off to the store across the street, leaving them to play catch-up. As they approached the door, Lance skipped ahead to prop the door open for Keith.

Keith stopped and gave him a look, but he only stood confidently as ever.

“After you, babe.”

He said it as naturally as he would Keith’s name, but Keith nearly tripped over the air at his feet.

“C-Can you not?” Keith stopped in his tracks, as if walking through that door meant accepting the new nickname. Although, as far as nicknames go, this was an improvement on ‘Mullet.’

No! What was he thinking?

Lance saying ‘babe’ was enough to make his heart skip, but him saying ‘babe’ _to him_ was going to send him into cardiac arrest.

Keith instinctively balled up his fists and held his arms defensively at his sides, and Lance’s smile drooped.

“What? It’s just a nickname. I call all my friends babe!”

Okay, now that was just a lie. Keith’s gaze sharpened.

“Since when?”

“Since! Uh… A few years ago.” Lance replied, still frozen in the door-holding position.

Keith eyed him suspiciously. In reality, there was no way to know whether or not his words were true. Keith hadn’t seen Lance for a ‘few years.’ Though, he hadn’t heard Lance call anyone else that so far.

“Whatever. Just don’t call me that again, okay? I don’t like that name.”

Lance’s eyes reflected his hurt, and Keith berated himself for being too forward. It wasn’t a lie that the name brought up memories he struggled to forget, but when Lance said it… Well, it wasn't like that.

It made him feel giddy like a school boy with a crush. It felt pure and innocent, and it made him want Lance even more than he already did. It reminded him just how close to falling he was.

Again. He couldn’t go through that again.

But he also didn’t want Lance to feel like shit over it. He was just being his usual, sweet self. He wasn’t trying to offend him.

“It’s fine, Lance. Don’t pout.”

“I’m not pouting!” He said, hastily shaking off his pout. “Anyways, you coming? My arm kinda hurts.”

“Ah, right.” Keith finally stepped past the door, thanking Lance quietly.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

The car ride wasn’t quite as bad as Keith had been imagining; not so far, at least. He was kept busy with a book of Allura’s for the first hour or two, before growing bored of the obvious murder-mystery plot twist (it was the love interest all along, oh nooooo.)

Keith liked reading, but he was hyper-critical of plotlines and usually saw through twists like they were made of glass, so the book had to be _really_ good. This… wasn’t that.

They finally made it back to the highway, crowded with commuters and travelers alike.

Cell reception was back in full force, and Keith caught up with Shiro. They texted back and forth for a while about the camping trip, until Shiro’s ‘I told you so’ attitude was permeating through the screen and Keith couldn’t take it anymore. He left his last message, “Sounds like you and Lance are getting along >:)” on read.

It was only around the three-hour mark that Keith’s legs began to ache for solid ground. Random indie songs with girls’ strained and raspy voices played from Hunk’s phone. It wasn’t really his kind of thing, but some of the songs were catchy. Still better than Lance trying to meme them to death.

Speaking of Lance, he was absolutely restless. Constantly changing up his position, groaning in discomfort, and begging Pidge for a turn on her game- which she thoroughly rejected each time.

A few times Lance elbowed Keith or bumped knees with him, only to hush out a ‘sorry!’ or grin innocently whenever Keith would glare from behind his book.

After putting down the book, Pidge’s constant gaming actually started to entice him as well, though he had more self-control than Lance. It did make him itch to log in to his usual games on his laptop and at least claim the daily bonuses or something, but alas, Shiro had convinced him not to pack it.

Keith was surprised it had taken him so long, but Lance finally hit them with it;

“Are we there yet?” He whined.

Allura swiftly rolled up her crossword puzzle and batted him on the head.

“Owww~ Allura, don’t be mean!”

“We’re not starting _that.”_ She gave her final verdict and Lance whimpered, powerless.

An effective silence fell on the car after that, minus the clacking of thumbs against plastic and calming-yet-vague song lyrics.

Lance sat as if on his best behaviour; posture straight and looking ahead, with hands clasped in his lap. He looked pained.

Keith didn’t really mind these long stretches of nothingness and boredom. In fact, this was what he had expected the road trip to mostly consist of. Lance seemed to be having a hard time accepting that reality, however.

Within moments he was unable to force it any longer, swiveling his knees towards Keith with quivering expression.

“Yes?” Keith raised a brow at him expectantly.

He held the words in with his breath, before finally releasing both. “I’m bored…”

“I thought you liked road trips?”

“Well, yeah! I just don’t like the driving part.” He tapered off into hushed tones as if his words would offend the car or something.

“...What did you think a road trip was, Lance?” Keith said, doing his best to reign in his amusement.

“I dunno, but it’s supposed to be about the spirit of adventure. And spending time with your best buds.”

“We just had an adventure yesterday, and we’re currently on the way to our next one.” Pidge chimed in. She had seemed so laser-focused on her screen that they hadn’t even considered her consciousness might still be in this reality. She folded her game closed before pulling out her phone. “Rest stop in two miles. We can stop and stretch?”

Allura perked up at the suggestion. “It has been about three hours, meaning we’re halfway there. Also, my legs are killing me.”

Everyone in agreement that their legs were about to fall off, they took the exit and pulled into a lot packed with other travelers. Some vending machines caught Keith’s eye as everyone hoped out of the car, sighing in relief when their feet hit the pavement. Keith was reminded of the campsite as the area was surrounded with towering trees.

Allura was quick to file everyone into the restrooms, and while Lance was fascinated with the giant map in the middle of the sidewalk, Keith snagged some Oreos to munch on. He meant to return to the SUV after that, but something glittering gold caught his eye in the machine. A Twix bar stared him in the face and halted his movements.

It was just a stupid candy bar, and yet it was making his heart stutter. Not because candy bars got him hot or anything, in fact, he hated Twix. But it was Lance’s all-time favorite.

“...Dammit.” He dropped in a few more coins until the machine spit the candy out. Keith grabbed it remorsefully.

He was only doing it to repay him for breakfast. That’s it.

As he jogged over to the group, he realized he had made a horrible mistake. Here he was, returning to a group of five people with a total of two snacks. He had half a mind to turn back on his heel and buy three more snacks from the vending machine, but his wallet protested. Keith was made up of a lot of things, but money wasn’t one of them.

Pocketing the snacks and cursing his impulses, he awkwardly sidled back into the vivacious group, eyes trained on the pavement.

Stopping for a stretch breathed new energy back into Lance, who was springy and upbeat once more.

Once everyone was accounted for, Hunk unlocked the car doors.

Lance did one last stretch before they got back into the car, and for the life of him, Keith wished he wouldn’t.

Crossing his arms lithely above his head, he mewled out a moan that would be considered explicit in any other context. And, fuck, Keith would be a liar if he said he wasn’t going to hear that sound over and over again in his head the next time he got off. And maybe the next, too.

Keith's eyes danced up and down Lance’s body. His eyes were shut tight as he stretched, giving Keith an infrequent moment to drink the sight of him in. His gaze couldn’t help but linger on the strip of beautifully exposed skin where his shirt rode up his stomach. Keith bit the inside of his cheek to keep from licking his lips.

Beside him, Allura cleared her throat. Mortified, Keith’s wide-eyed gaze landed on her. He had just been caught absolutely drooling over her friend, and he had little doubt it that the nature of his thoughts as was transparent as his humiliation.

What the hell was he even thinking just then? It’s like his dick just hijacked his brain.

Her eyes squinted slightly as she gave a small smile, before lifting a thin finger to her lips.

A moment of silent solitude passed between them, and when Keith felt that his secret was safe, he returned his eyes to the ground with his heart still pounding.

He didn’t know what he had expected. It’s not like she would just drop everything and shout, ‘Hey Lance, I think Keith is eye-fucking you right now!’ But he hadn’t expected her to seem so… okay with it?

Maybe he read it wrong, but her smile almost seemed to convey a blessing.

It left Keith with too much to think about as they set out for three more hours of nothing.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

The proximity was suddenly overwhelming.

All reservations he had previously held about being stuck with Lance came back in full force. Wishing he had insisted on Allura sitting in the middle seat, Keith did his best to glue himself to the door. He needed at least three inches of space between himself and Lance to function right now, and he was only getting it by pressing himself so hard against the door he feared it would come unhinged.

Lance seemed to notice Keith was now treating him like he was highly contagious, shooting him a glare and a questioning sound. Keith left it unanswered, eyes glued to the clock.

How was it possible that only an hour had passed since they started driving again? His mind told him it had been at least five. Then again, his mind was currently in a bit of a disarray.

“Let’s play truth or dare!” Lance piped up after his third or fourth time complaining of his boredom.

“I don’t think carrying out dares is the best idea in a moving vehicle.” Allura countered carefully.

“Good point. Uh, I Spy!” He tried again.

“Yeah, ‘cause that’ll totally not get old after one round.” Pidge quipped.

“Fuuuu- Okay, hmm…” Lance scoured his brain for something new. “Twenty-one questions?”

No one had anything to say in rejection, and Lance rejoiced. Keith didn’t mind, as whatever they decided to play, he would only give the minimum required effort. His mind was still MIA.  

A chorus of ‘Sure’s and a few ‘Whatever’s rang out, and Lance declared that he would start.

“Okay, hm… Favorite music genre?” He asked while looking at Keith.

_You fucker. You already know this, so why…_

“Wait, so, how are we doing this? Do we just ask someone specific, or does everyone answer?” Hunk chimed in to save the day, and Lance, who clearly hadn’t thought about it, answered.

“Uh, everyone can answer! That’s fine.” Lance beamed, turning to Keith. “Wanna start?”

Keith glared.

“Not particularly.”

“Oh my God, I’ll start.” Pidge said in exasperation, finally laying her game to rest. “I like electronic music, mostly. A little bit of dubstep, but not the kind that sounds like someone threw a rock into a blender.”

Keith was floored by the response, expecting one-word answers.

“If it wasn’t obvious, I listen to mostly indie music. I just love up-and-coming artists, and they need the most support, y’know? Plus, the music is so soothing.” Hunk’s answer furthered Keith’s theory that he was, in fact, not human but an angel who ended up on Earth by accident.

“Hmm… I don’t have a particular taste. I like a little bit of everything really. But I suppose I spend the most time listening to the top 100 list whenever I’m on Pandora.”  

Everyone hummed along, before looking to Keith expectantly. He broke the chain of long-winded answers with “I like… rock, I guess.”

He was going for the gold when it came to minimum required effort here.

“Bah, so vague.” Lance complained.

“Well, what about you? You haven’t answered.” Keith fired back, not really interested in an answer he already knew. Lance’s answer was similar to Allura’s; a little bit of everything. Although, he tended to go more for under-the-radar artists rather than top 100. Also, memes. Lots of memes.

“It was my question, therefore, I don’t have to answer it.” He smirked with his nose lifted.

“Okay, if you two are going to fight again, we-”

“We’re not fighting!” Keith and Lance shouted in unison, before giving Allura an apologetic look for interrupting. She was unamused.

Lance nudged Keith, signaling his turn.

“Favorite color.” He demanded rather than asked.

Minimum. Required. Effort.

Lance gave him a look signaling his disappointment, but was the first to answer anyway.

“Blue. Everything in the world that is nice to look at is blue. The sky, the ocean, etcetera.”

_You forgot your eyes._

Oh my God, if Keith could smack himself right now, he would.

“Green. It’s just a dope ass color, I dunno.”

Fair enough.

“Hmm. Yellow. Reminds me of sunshine.”

An angel.

“Pink is a lovely color, so I’d say that’s my favorite.”

Elegant, as always.

Keith realized he was coming to know these people through their answers. And the weird part? He cared. He was interested in hearing their answers, and the reasons behind them. With that filed away in his mind as ‘Do not overthink,’ the game continued on.

“Do you believe in aliens?” Pidge asked, and Keith was the first one to answer.

“Why wouldn't you? There’s so much evidence.” He immediately regretted speaking. He was risking his minimum effort award.

“Oh, God, Pidge. Don’t get him started.” Lance bemoaned.

“I think it’s definitely possible. The universe is so big, it’s hard to believe we’re the only forms of intelligent life, right?” Hunk answered, and Allura agreed.

Lance only shrugged, skeptical as ever.

“Okay, my turn.” Hunk announced. “Favorite show?”

Allura nearly jumped out of her seat, restrained only by her seatbelt.

“Game of Thrones! Have you seen the latest season? I won’t spoil anything, but _oh my God.”_ It was like someone flipped a switch and replaced calm, elegant Allura with a batshit crazy fangirl. Keith was floored, to say the least.

“You already know I have.” Pidge high-fived her. “But I like a lot of different shows. Asking me to pick a favorite is too cruel. Anything on Netflix, really.”

Lance was deep in thought. “Yeah, I’m having trouble picking a favorite, too. I’ll go with… Adventure Time. Been watching that one for years.”

“I don’t really watch TV. I mostly just play games.” Keith answered. Pidge spun around, apparently new to this knowledge, and started asking him a dozen questions about what kind of games and which ones he likes best and wow it feels like they’re suddenly playing their own personal game of twenty-one questions.

Allura decided to get them back on track. “My turn!”

She thought for a moment, before unknowingly releasing a whirlwind into the enclosed space of the SUV.

“Who was your first kiss?”

Keith’s blood ran cold, and he felt Lance stiffen beside him.

For this question, Lance and Keith shared an answer.

It happened when they were much too young to know what love was, and it was something they never really spoke of.

It was third grade, a time when no one really had a clue what to do with themselves just yet. Some kids found solace in embracing their mean streak.

 _“What’s wrong, Keef?”_ Dirt smudged across his face and sweaty from playing, Lance pulled his way up to the top, settling next to Keith. He had a slight lisp now from getting braces that made it hard for him to pronounce his name, but it stopped being funny after a few weeks.

Keith stubbornly swiveled away from him, burying his tear soaked face in his arms.

 _“Go away.”_ The muffled command was no deterrent to Lance, however, as he moved closer to pull Keith in to a hug.

This happened all the time; it was a wonder Lance never got tired of comforting him. By now, Keith had learned there was no use fighting it.

 _“James said no one will ever love me…”_ Keith hiccuped a sob. _“A-and I would die alone.”_

It was a wonder the things that would come out of some kids’ mouths. Of course, you could never tell their parents that. They would scoff in disbelief, unable to conceptualize the fact that their child might be anything other than a saint. Keith learned to stop telling the teachers. He was learning a lot about what it meant to be alone.

The only kind of mean streak Lance had was protective, though.

_“What!? Where is he, that jerk, I’ll-”_

_“No!”_ Keith shook. _“It’s no use. Just forget it…”_ Keith wormed his way out Lance’s grip.

He looked for an escape. Anywhere he could go to just be alone and stop being such a burden to everyone. The teachers were tired of hearing about James, Lance was tired of having to comfort him, and Keith was tired of trying to fit in. He was better off alone.

Spotting the slide, Keith positioned himself to disappear down the cavernous mouth, but Lance had other plans.

 _“Wait!”_ Lance shouted as he clasped his arms around Keith’s small waist, holding him hostage. Keith growled, until he heard the desperate plea in Lance’s voice. _“Why do you always try to run away?”_

Keith was too young to have an answer, he didn’t know, but he felt in this very moment Lance might need him more than he ever did.

Keith slowly turned to face Lance, still feeling sheltered by the enclosed walls of the slide.

_I’m sorry._

He wanted to say it, but the words always got stuck on his tongue.

_“And, hey, mamá says when people are mean to you, they’re just jealous.”_

Keith thought about it, but he couldn't imagine anyone being jealous of _him._

 _“I don’t think so…”_ He hung his head.

Keith and Lance didn’t think anything of it. For kids, things are just… simple. The way to show someone you love them is simple; a kiss.

So that’s why Lance leaned in and pressed their lips together in an innocent display of affection. As far as first kisses go, Keith wasn’t even sure you could qualify it. Lance had his lips pressed tightly together, as if letting any air escape from his mouth was out of the question. Keith was stunned cold and Lance turned to a statue as soon as their lips touched, so they kinda just stood there touching lips for about three seconds. Yes, he counted.

While they didn’t think much about it, they didn’t talk about it, either.  

So now, being confronted with the memory and asked to speak about it was a bit jarring.

Keith heard Hunk and Pidge rattling off their answers without listening. When his turn arrived, he felt like he would be sick. What the hell was he supposed to say? Should he lie? Or just casually spout out ‘Oh, it was Lance.’ Maybe him making such a big deal out of it was weirder than the actual fact. He just didn’t know what to do.

Keith cannot fake a smile to save his life. He believes some people call it ‘wearing your heart on your sleeve,’ but that doesn’t sound right. He just can’t fake his emotions, and his face is a blank canvas ready to reveal every detail to the world of how he’s feeling. So maybe his face was showcasing his distress, or maybe Allura could just read his mind.

“If you don’t want to answer, you can use a skip. Everyone gets one.” Guilt riddled her voice.

Keith’s mind kicked into overdrive.

_Was it too suspicious to skip? This is such an innocent question. They’re gonna wonder what the deal is. I mean, I can’t just say it was Lance! That’s too weird. Lie, just lie. Fuck I forgot to answer her. Just say something!_

“...Yeah, I’ll skip.”

No one said anything.

“I’ll skip too.” Lance said, leagues above Keith when it came to masking his emotions. Or maybe it just wasn’t a big deal to him, after all?

Come to think of it, Keith kind of forced Lance’s hand by using his skip.

Wow, twenty-one questions suddenly felt like chess.

A strange silence filled the car. Pidge suggested that maybe they should play I Spy now. Everyone agreed.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Emotionally and physically exhausted from the last six hours, Keith wouldn’t allow himself to rest yet. The phone rang endlessly before directing him to voicemail. _Beep._

“Answer me you coward, I have words for you.” Keith hit the end button before leaning back against the parked SUV.

He understood that his brother was busy, but come on Shiro, his love life was at stake here.

Undeterred, he dialed again. This time, there was finally an answer.

“Keith! Hey, is everything okay?” Shiro sounded shaken up.

“Kinda. I’m alive.”

Shiro sighed in response, voice steadying.

“You sound like you need to talk.” He stated matter-of-factly.

“So you remember the other night when you suggested I _maybe_ didn’t hate Lance?” Keith found the words tumbling out of his mouth. It was always so easy to spill his guts to Shiro. Maybe it was because he was a good listener, or maybe it was because he was the closest thing to a real family member he’d ever had.

In response to his mostly obvious babble, he could hear Shiro crack a smile.

“I think I _suggested_ a little more than that.”

“Well, whatever.” Keith bit. “I’m starting to think… Ugh, don't let this get to your head, but you might be right.”

Contemplative silence.

“And don’t get the wrong idea. Some things about this trip might have been… enjoyable, but I still have every intention of winning our little bet. It’s just…”

Shiro’s voice lacked any assertion of pride when he finally spoke.

“It’s just Lance?”

Shiro knew. He had known for a long time.

“I’m scared, Shiro.” His voice cracked at the admission, tears biting at his eyes with a threatening sting.

From there, an amalgamation of thoughts and feelings were poured out. His feelings about these people, who he wanted to know better and didn’t understand why. His untamed thoughts about Lance and hiding them. Even his sexual frustration blinding his ability to act like a normal fucking person. Shiro listened patiently until it was over.

Keith heard a deep breath from the other side of the line, and some time passed between another.

“Keith…” Shiro began. “I know you were hesitant to go on this trip, and even now you seem to be struggling, but I think a lot of good can come from this. I know you. You hesitate to put yourself out there because you’re scared to get hurt, and that’s normal. What’s not normal is that you’ll fight off a good thing even if it’s right in front of you.”

Keith was ready to fend off the comments, but Shiro continued before he got the chance.

“Do you think I would’ve set this whole thing up if I really thought something bad was going to happen to you because of it? Do you think I would purposefully lead you down the wrong path?”

That shut Keith up real fast. Truth be told, he often forgot that Shiro was the puppet master of his being here.

“No, never.” Keith could answer with full confidence. He trusted Shiro with his life, even if he didn’t always understand his… methods. He had a hard time seeing the bigger picture here, but Shiro seemed to see it like crystal; maybe that could be enough?

“I think… some of the best experiences in life can come from things that make you hesitate.”

At Shiro’s advice, he couldn’t help but crack a smile. “Like jumping off a cliff?”

“Yes, exac-” Shiro finally registered his words. “Wait, what?”

Keith laughed through his nose. “Nothing.”

“A-anyways, I hope you feel a little better?” Shiro sounded like he was crossing his fingers.

Keith made a small hum of approval, before they said their goodbyes.

The silence of night was now looming in the absence of his brother’s voice, but it didn’t feel lonely. Just about an hour ago, they had arrived in Indianapolis.  This time, a proper hotel greeted them. He hadn’t seen much in the dark, but apparently, they would be spending the day here tomorrow to explore. Their room was several stories up, overlooking the city. Keith fidgeted as he rode the elevator up one floor, two, three, eventually settling on fifteen.

His hand hovered near the scanner at their door, hesitant.

_Relax. This can’t go much worse than last time, right? You can only go up from the bottom._

Chanting his idea of optimism in his head, he finally entered the room. Four pairs of eyes greeted him.

Moments before Keith had stepped away to call Shiro, Lance had not-so-subtly asked if he would rather have him sleep on the floor. Keith hadn’t given him an answer, but Lance took the liberty to set himself up on the bed in a display of good faith.

Keith knew he would move if he only asked him to.

_‘Some of the best experiences in life can come from things that make you hesitate.’_

Keith steeled his nerves before making his way to his side of the bed, plopping down with a lack of his usual scorn. He decided confidence was key here. If he didn’t make it a big deal, maybe it wouldn’t be.

The lights turned off, and Lance settled under the covers carefully, as if Keith was a finicky cat that might leap away at one wrong muscle movement. Maybe he wasn't necessarily wrong.

Keith settled down too, balling the covers into his chest like he usually does. Until he felt a slight tug.

His eyes opened in annoyance, and he turned to see Lance mirroring his expression.

“What're you doing?” Keith whispered.

“You’re stealing all the covers!” Lance’s hushed tone still managed to convey his irritation.

“Shh!” Someone shushed them from the other side of the room, and they both slinked down. Apparently, their whispering was too loud.

Keith hummed a growl, before relinquishing control of the covers. Lance reeled in the blanket until it was mostly even again.

A few moments of silence, but Lance seemed restless, and Keith felt every toss and turn and pull of the blankets. It kept Keith awake, too. Finally, Keith rolled over and shook Lance.

“You ok?” The genuine concern in Keith’s voice seemed to startle Lance more than suddenly being grabbed did.

“Just… thinking.” He shrugged. No one shushed them this time, they must be fast asleep.

“Okay, about what?” Keith asked, slightly irritated to have to bait out the problem one question at a time.

“...What’s gonna happen when this trip is over? Are you going to run away again?” Lance’s tone wasn’t accusatory, but Keith felt a sharp stab from the words.

“I didn't _run away._ ” Keith propped himself up, now invested in the conversation. It hit him that they had never actually talked about what happened before. This was the first time.

“Okay, then what would you call it?” Lance questioned argumentatively. Keith scoffed, but he had no answer.

“What does it even matter? It’s not like you cared.” Keith lowered his voice, not wanting to speak about this above a whisper, or even at all.

“Do you realize how much you broke mom’s heart? How much the kids missed you? They asked me every day when you were coming over for dinner again.”

A wave of guilt consumed him. Lance didn’t even sound hostile anymore, just sad. Keith was being confronted with this so suddenly, he didn’t know what to say.

“It’s not like I didn’t think about visiting every single day, I just knew you’d be there! And I couldn't stand the thought of seeing you because…” Keith sealed his mouth shut with his own hand.

It was dark, but the whites of Lance’s wide eyes perfectly conveyed his surprise.

“You mean…” He started off shakily. “You were still thinking about me?”

Keith’s face flushed, and he wondered if it was obvious even in the dark. Keith’s grip on the sheets tightened and his mouth felt glued together, unable to respond.

Between Lance’s awestruck eyes and shaky breath, Keith couldn’t help but wonder if he was blushing too, cursing the dark for denying him the sight.

Keith would be a liar if he said he didnt wanna fuck lance. Maybe he would. Maybe he would stomp out whatever small flame of friendship was beginning to flicker between them. He could ruin it all with just one kiss, and it was oh so tempting. After all, the flames of his desire burned so much brighter. It could be so easy.

He’d wanted Lance for years. Lying next to him like this was dangling a bone in front of a starving animal’s face, and quite frankly, it was unfair.

He didn’t want to want Lance. These feeling were the reason he ran away in the first place. He couldn't fight them; they were all-consuming. They were set to destroy everything he cared about in pursuit of his unrequited passion.

There is a certain tragedy in falling in love with someone you can never have, and Keith didn’t want to live it all over again.

“Keith…” He whispered so quietly that only they could hear. The intimacy of his voice raised bumps across Keith’s skin, and he shivered in anticipation. “Are we even friends?”

The words felt like being doused in cold water and set on fire at the same time.

Friends. Of course that was what Lance wanted, he was a fool for thinking it could be anything else.

But maybe Keith wanted it too. Could he withstand the pain if it meant Lance would be a part of his life again? He could no longer deny that he wanted him there.

His mind tug-of-warred back and forth, and Lance was beginning to deflate, expecting the worst.

Keith was not good with words, they often failed him. But in that moment, he remembered the perfect escape.

He moved out from under the covers, before stumbling around in the dark to find his jacket. He felt around until he found what he was looking for. Lance remained silent, but Keith could feel his eyes following him as he returned to the bed.

In lieu of an answer to Lance’s question, Keith presented him a small, gold-wrapped piece of candy as his response.

Expressions masked by the blackness, he only heard a small gasp from Lance. Thin fingers brushed against his palm as he grabbed it, letting his hand linger above Keith’s momentarily.   

There were no words that needed to be exchanged. This one act said everything.

They were friends again. He should be happier.

Instead, he feels like he just threw himself in front of a truck that had just finished hitting him moments ago.

He just wished things were as simple as they were when they were kids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im literally so weak for Lance using pet names so buckle up folks that’s not going away anytime soon (let’s hope Keith will survive.)
> 
> Side note; I’m going to Nekocon this weekend! So expect that the next update might be a bit late again~!


	8. 6/23/2018 Indianapolis, IN

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Your laugh echoes down the highway_   
>  _Carves into my hollow chest, spreads over the emptiness_   
>  _It's bliss_   
>  _It's so simple but we can't stay_   
>  _Overanalyze again, would it really kill you if we kissed?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the extremely long wait. I’ve been in a slump recently where nothing I write feels good enough. Not to mention life has taken a certain turn for me that makes this fic a little hard for me to write at the moment. It’s strange, but after I started writing this fic something very similar to what happened between Lance and Keith happened to me and a close friend of mine IRL. 
> 
> This fic has accidentally become a sort of love letter to an old friend of mine, so I really emphasize with the boys in this AU. I doubt that person is even reading this, but if so, you know who you are. Let’s hope these boys have a happier ending. And as always thanks for commenting and letting me know that you’re enjoying. 
> 
> If you couldn't tell from that, this chapter is going to be a bit sad.

 

Keith found out fairly quickly that this group’s idea of exploring the city of Indianapolis was to drive aimlessly around, point at random buildings, and argue endlessly about where to have dinner. Keith didn’t really mind being ragdolled around as he still saw himself as a simple passenger, taking a literal and figurative backseat to the conversations.

The city itself was vibrant and lively in the daytime. Driving through downtown, you could see many people bustling through the skyscraper-laden streets, as well as taking a jog in the parks abundant with green.

They got out to take some pictures at an impressive monument circle located in the heart of the city, which Allura informed him was the ‘Soldiers & Sailors Monument Circle.’ It was beautiful, all towering stone surrounded by fountains with statues that were true works of art, but Keith didn't feel much for it. He also refused to be in any of the pictures. Call him typical, but he hated being in front of the lens.

The others, however, were perfectly fine with revealing themselves as the tourists they were as Keith snapped pictures of them posing before the memorial. At least this way they didn’t have to bother any of the locals for a photo.

After getting their fill of pictures, they spotted a local Italian restaurant across the street and decided to go in blind.

Several times, as they sat across from each other, Lance’s feet grazed his. Keith took notice and figured out it was on purpose after the third time. It was probably because he hardly spoke as he stared into the cheesy abyss of his pizza while conversation buzzed around him.

Lifting his gaze, he caught Lance staring at him from the corner of his eye before instantly flickering away. It was childish, but it still made Keith’s heartbeat stutter. The same bothersome stutter that plagued him in bed this morning, waking up to Lance sleeping peacefully next to him.

Keith was usually never the first awake, but today was an exception. His dreams turned him restless, and he woke to Lance’s forearm stretched across his chest as he snored lightly. His dreary mind sharply focused at the sight, and last night’s revelations came flooding back to memory.

They were friends now. Or rather, again.

He wondered if that had been a mistake. Maybe he should’ve just given Lance the cold shoulder again, refusing to answer his question and leaving him to his own devices for good. Being friends with Lance wasn’t a bad thing in and of itself, but for Keith, it could be devastating.

He wondered if he could truly starve his infatuation, or convince himself that it doesn’t exist at all. It had been his undoing once, it could happen again. It wasn’t so easy to stop loving someone like Lance.

Knowing full well he was treading a thin line, he kicked at Lance’s feet under the table. Lance stopped mid-sentence, before continuing on with a winning smirk.

Damn his contagious smile.

Keith pulled out his phone to distract himself as he physically restrained his own grin. There was nothing of interest, as he despised social media, so he just reread texts from earlier today.

 **11:57 AM - Shiro:** Sooooooo?

 **11:57 AM - Keith:** So?

 **11:58 AM - Shiro:** You gonna give me the deets?

 **11:59 AM - Keith:** Kay first of all, dont talk like tht, second, what deets my dude?

 **12:01 PM - Shiro:** Oh dont play dumb! I wanna know how last night went with LAnce :9

 **12:01 PM - Shiro:** *:(

 **12:05 PM - Shiro:** Keith?

 **12:11 PM - Shiro:** Keiiiiiithhhhhhh???

 **12:15 PM - Keith:** Sorry we were taking pictures. Well, not we, they. I dont do pics.

 **12:16 PM - Shiro:** Okay Captain Edgelord can you answer my Q?

 **12:17 PM - Keith:** …

 **12:18 PM - Keith:** Were friends now but hes so cute im gonna die

 **12:18 PM - Shiro:** Really~? Yay! Go you!

 **12:18 PM - Keith:** Bitch wym?? This is a disaster

 **12:19 PM - Shiro:** Ur a disaster :P whats wrong with being friends? Adam and I were friends b4 we dated.

 **12:20 PM - Keith:** Ok well good 4 u you gays!! Lance is so straight i could use him as a ruler. Ugh, this is making me sad. Im suing myaself for emotional damages.

 **12:21 PM - Shiro:** ..,wait, what?

 **12:21 PM - Keith:**?

 **12:22 PM - Shiro:** Nothing… I g2g kids are crazy right now, its lunch time. Just promise you wont give up? Talk later, ILY be safe!

 **12:23 PM - Keith:**???? ok love u too?

His earlier confusion returned after rereading the texts, but he had passed enough time that the checks were being passed around now.

“Oh, can me and him be together?” Lance politely addressed the waitress while gesturing towards Keith.

“What, no!” Keith’s fight or flight responses activated.

“Ignore him.” Lance waved him away before handing off his card to the waitress. She probably saw disputes like these all the time, as she simply took the first card that was handed to her and was off with it.

Keith sunk into his chair, knowing there was no use fighting it. He hoped this wasn’t going to become a Thing with Lance. Keith knew he was just trying to be a good friend as always, but it made Keith feel like deadweight when other people paid for him.

Also, they were now uneven again.

After checks and boxes were handed out, they left the restaurant and returned to the safety of the SUV. Having gotten their fill of the city for the day, they all agreed to return to the hotel after a quick stop at Walmart. They apparently needed to stock up on drinks and snacks for the night.

“Is something special going on tonight?” Keith asked, realizing he was out of the loop.

“I mean, not technically,” Pidge shrugged. “We’re just gonna have a fun night in, probably play some card games and get a little drunk.”

Keith’s stomach dropped a bit. “Oh.”

“You don’t have to drink.” Lance reminded him, and Keith appreciated the concern, unconsciously leaning into Lance for comfort.  

They continued down the unfamiliar streets bobbing their heads to whatever tune played through the speakers, Lance’s scent and warmth covering him like a blanket, and Keith felt at home even hundreds of miles away.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Keith’s life consisted of two major food groups; pizza and McDonald’s. Or at least, that’s what Keith had told everyone when they had felt guilty about Keith having to eat pizza twice in one day. He really didn’t mind., he had assured them.

Now, here they were, half-way into their second box and sprawled across the floor of their hotel room, trading slick remarks as well as cards while their game of Go-Fish was getting intense.

By now the sun had long set and they had a breathtaking view of the city lit up at night as their backdrop, accompanying the music (played at a range that they wouldn’t get in trouble for.) and drinks and laughs that were shared.

Keith had been to a few… regrettable parties in the past few years, ones that had even earned him a bad reputation in their town that never strays from gossip, but this was something he could get behind. Just five people who were good company, hanging out and having fun. If only all parties were like this, Keith wouldn’t have such a distaste for them.

Speaking of taste, Allura is apparently a master mixologist. There’s no shame in ‘girly’ drinks, and right now Keith is slurping down his second apple martini as he and Lance go head-to-head for the title of Go-Fish champion. Even Pidge was allowed a little bit of alcohol. Only a little.

Something about these people made it easy for Keith to let his inhibitions go. Maybe it was the fact that they were already making such fools of themselves that Keith couldn’t possibly top them, or maybe it was the fact that Lance was there. Lance always had a way of bringing out Keith’s inner sociable butterfly. Up until recently, Keith had forgotten it existed.

It was more of a social moth, actually. Not quite as vibrant and enjoyable as a butterfly, likes to come out at night, and usually flocks to those who resemble the sun. But social moth sounded weird, so social butterfly works.

Also thanks to Lance was the fact that Keith was drinking again. Lance encouraged him that it was fine if he didn't want any, but they would all drink responsibly together.

Keith emerged victorious in an absolute underdog victory, as he had been running behind all game. The other cheered and used the cards as confetti, showering Keith in his victory. Lance was salty when he lost, but he had won the last round, so they decided to call it quits before someone got hurt.

Feeling bold, Keith put on a pair of the heart-shaped party glasses they had bought at Walmart, the kind with the slots in them, and blew on one of those party-blower-things that usually made an appearance at third-grade birthday parties. The others got a real kick out of it, and Pidge even snapped a picture on her retro-looking camera. The picture printed instantly, and she shook it around to dry it.

“You have a Polaroid?” Keith had just noticed.

“Yep, I’ve been sniping pictures this whole time. Just call me the Polaroid Ninja.”

Keith wondered how he hadn’t noticed before. He also wondered if he was in any of them. He would have to be careful of the Polaroid Ninja from now on.

Lance came up behind him, throwing an arm around his shoulder.

“What’re we playing next, buddy?” Lance offered him the choice, and Keith scanned the pile of board-and-card games on the bed.

“Hmm, doesn't matter to me. I’ll win at anything.” Keith smirked, and Lance took the bait.

“Oh, yeah? Sounds like a challenge.”

“More of a promise, really.”

“Is that so?”

Okay, that stupid eyebrow arch and slightly flirtatious voice should not have such an effect on Keith, but dammit, it does. Lance gets way too provocative when he drinks, Keith noted. Keith bumps against his shoulder, and Lance bumps back, and Keith feels twelve-years-old but he also feels alive.

 

 

* * *

 

  

The muted sounds of laughter pelted his brain as he hung his arms over the edge. Every so often the spirit of the party would lul, and Keith found the time to slip away unnoticed between the games and conversation for a moment to himself. He was a master of overthinking, and he knew he was enabling himself at the moment.

Yet the view from the balcony stirred his heart. It had been hard to put into perspective just how far away from home he was until the vast unknown of an unfamiliar city was sprawled out below him. It was lit up like a Christmas tree, cars speeding down the distant highways and buildings taller than theirs flashing lights on and off.

Keith had told himself he just needed a moment to settle his nerves as the alcohol wore off. Now he wasn't so sure coming out here was a good idea. The city was beautiful, but in a terrifying way.

He was really having a good time tonight.

The warmth of inclusion was almost addictive, just like the sweet taste of Allura’s mixed drinks. He felt cold all alone in the night.

Keith had never found a ‘friend group’ to fit into like everyone around him seemed to do so effortlessly. There was no clique he could conform to, no niche he could find, no people he could connect with. The only exception was Lance.

Keith convinced himself that he only had Lance because he had taken pity on him once when they were kids, and Keith had never let him go since. All throughout the years, clinging to the hem of his shirt like a lifeline. No matter how bad things got for Keith, Lance was always his number one fan, his closest ally.

But Lance was very different from Keith. He made friends as naturally as he breathed, and people loved him. He was shrouded in attention, always, and Keith was just one of the many faces he knew. There was just a divide between them that could never be bridged.

Maybe the difference was that he knew loss. Keith knew firsthand what it was like to love somebody and to lose them. Maybe that’s why he never wanted to let anyone in, and when he did, he never wanted to let them out.

It was unhealthy, and it would eat at him, and then it grew into something much worse when he started to see Lance differently than before. He started to need so much more from Lance; much more than he would ever care to admit.

He knew he would never be the one that Lance would look at with stars in his eyes. He could never dominate Lance’s time, he could never steal his gaze away from everyone else in the room that shone so much brighter than him, and he could never be the only one who mattered to Lance. And he didn't even want that, he didn’t like to think of himself as selfish.

But maybe he just wanted Lance to want that.

It ruined Keith, in the end, and Keith let it ruin them, too.

Now, years later, he’s been given a second chance; one he doesn’t rightfully deserve. He’s already starting to slip again.

Do these people care about him? Does Keith care about them? Or will he always just be a replacement for something better? Or are there are people in this world who won’t abandon you? Keith thought of Lance, and then Shiro.

Hunk, Pidge, and Allura. They’re strange, but good people. They’re funny and Keith can actually tolerate them, and vice versa, but there is no real way to know what someone’s true intentions with you are. They might seem like friends now, but what about when the road trip ends? Will they ever even speak to him again? Do they really care, or are they just pretending?

It’s impossible to ever know for sure.

As if Keith’s thought had summoned them, Pidge and company stepped out onto the balcony. They politely played around his distance, still giggling with drinks in hand.

“Everything okay, dude?”

“Come back in, we miss you!”

“We don’ wanna start the next game without you.”

Keith bit down on his cheek in tandem with the squeeze in his chest. He couldn't figure out for the life of him why they even gave him the time of day. Lance and Shiro had always been the only ones who made him feel like he mattered, like he was even a person at all. But right now, he felt that he mattered to these brand new people, and it was terrifying and exciting all at once.

It might be impossible to know for sure if someone cares about you, but sometimes, that’s okay. Sometimes you just have to let your walls down, even if you might get hurt, because it just feels right.

And even if it hurts later, can that really take away the happiness you feel now?

Keith had a lot of questions and not a lot of answers, but he was sure by the end of all of this, he would know some things he didn’t know before. Perhaps not all good things, but that was a risk he just might be willing to take.

“We just wanted to check on you. We’re friends after all.” Hunk’s statement sounded more like a suggestion, and the others eyed Keith to gauge his reaction.

Shiro always told him that he would fight off a good thing even if it's right in front of him; he never really understood what that meant until now.  

Three smiling faces stared at him so patiently, their message clear.

_These people want to be my friend, and all I have to do is let them in._

“Yeah…” Keith struggled. It's so simple, yet it’s the scariest thing he can remember doing.

In a moment of ‘Fuck it All,’ he finally spits it out.

“We’re friends.”

Their faces light up as Hunk, unable to help himself, pulls them all in for a group hug.

Keith is surprised until he is laughing, being squeezed and nuzzled from all different directions. He never thought of himself as much of a hugger, but damn, if this wasn’t the softest he had ever felt in his life right here. It gave him the sense that maybe, just maybe, everything was going to turn out fine.

 

 

* * *

 

  

It had never occurred to Keith before this moment that he and Lance had a lot of lost time to make up for. His first clue was when Lance started taking shots like a champ. The taste of alcohol used to skeeve him out, and he wasn’t very fond of drinking. Now, he was keeping up with the everyone else like it was no big deal.

His second clue was when Lance started to get a little tipsy and closed the gap between them with an arm around his shoulder. Keith was feeling loose enough from the pinch of alcohol in his veins to let it just happen.

Normally, he would curse Lance’s touchy-feely tendencies for giving him false hope, but for now, he just wanted to bask in his glow. Especially when Lance rubbed tender circles into his shoulder like second nature, he just didn’t have the heart to tell him to stop.

His third clue was when Lance suggested they pick their game of 21 Questions back up despite how awkwardly things had ended for them last time. Keith wondered what his angle was, but he didn’t protest when everyone else happily agreed. What could possibly go wrong? They had already gotten _that_ question out of the way.

“Fav’rite foo?” Pidge munched on pizza as she spoke, earning a light tap of discipline from Allura. “Sorry,” She swallowed. “Favorite food?”

Everyone obediently gave their answers, including Keith. It was a softball question, but Keith was glad for it.

“What question are we even on? Like, seven?” Lance pondered.

“Umm, yeah, I think so? Does it matter, though?” Allura answered him.

“Well duh! There’s only twenty-one questions, so we gotta make ‘em count.”

“Hush, It’s my turn!” Allura cleared her throat. “What’s your biggest regret?”

Keith stiffened under Lance’s hold, mind instantly darting to a certain scene from high school. He had thought the worst of the questions were over; how naive.

Keith gave a disingenuous answer, not caring to reveal his true biggest regret. In the midst of answering the questions, there were moments when everyone would go off topic or lose focus. The game became more of an afterthought as they shuffled around, talking about a multitude of different things and occasionally asking ‘Whose turn is it again?’

Hunk asked what the most illegal thing they’d ever done was, receiving mostly tame answers about stealing candy bars in middle school or cheating on tests. More pizza, more booze, and suddenly everything felt lighter. Keith wasn’t even close to surpassing his limit, but he was enduring that air-headedness that comes after a few light drinks.

Then they remembered it was Keith’s turn after going on a tangent about their sophomore English teacher’s love life. Lance had since released his grip on Keith, but still hovered close. Keith rather enjoyed the company.

“Last person you kissed.” Keith snickered, finally deciding to up his question-game game. The reactions were great, grimaces and ‘oofs’ rang out as well as knowing smirks. Keith had motives stronger than just making everybody squirm, however, as he was morbidly curious of Lance’s answer.

“This is easy. My mom.” Pidge ripped off Lance’s signature finger guns as she giggled. Keith had long since garnered that she wasn't interested in romance. “But I definitely know Allura’s answer.” She nudged her friend, who hid her face in her hands.

“Ugh… Don’t remind me.” Allura groaned.

“Oh, yeah! Lotor, the exchange student, right?” Hunk innocently buzzed, before Allura flopped over, presumably dead.

Lance faked a gag. Apparently, he wasn’t a fan of Lotor the Exchange Student.

Hunk’s answer was much less painful, “My girlfriend, Shay.” A chorus of ‘Awws’ ensued.

Finally, all that’s left was Lance. Keith anticipated his answer in a sick curiosity, the kind where you’re not even sure you _want_ to know but you’re certainly not about to back out now. Lance swallowed before laughing nervously.

“I’ve never kissed anyone, actually.” He shrugged.  

_Wait, what?_

Keith knew that wasn’t true. Unless he had hallucinated the whole thing when they were kids? No, that wasn't possible. Then Lance either didn’t remember or… he was lying?

And judging from the way he wouldn't meet Keith’s gaze, it was the latter.

Why would he lie? That was a bit strange. Did he not want Keith to know who the last person he kissed was, and if not, why?

As he was teetering back into overthinking territory, Lance swiftly changed the subject.

“Biggest turn-on.” He chuckled, rivaling Keith in how over-the-top he could make his questions.

“Eww, none.” Pidge scrunched her nose.

“Hmm,” Allura thought. “I, for one, find intelligence very charming.”

Lance chuffed at that. “Then explain Lotor!”

“Lonce!” Her accent came out heaviest when she was upset.

“Hunk?” Keith asked, desperate to move on. Hunk was, of course, a blushing mess.

“Skip!” He finally shouted, raising his hands in surrender.

“Booooo-ring!” Lance gave a thumbs down, before nudging Keith. “Your turn.”

“Skip.” Keith stubbornly refused to give Lance the satisfaction of embarrassing him. If he were to be honest, he would start listing every feature on Lance’s body not-so-subtly and make an absolute spectacle of himself. There was just the right amount of alcohol in him to keep him sane enough to know that was a bad, bad idea.

“Nope!” Several people chimed in, Lance the loudest, instantly shutting him down.

“Huh?”

“You already used your skip, re-mem-ber?”  

This was so unfair. Everyone else got off so easy for this question, and Lance didn’t even have to answer despite Keith’s burning desire to hear all about what gets him going. Lance only wanted to know so he could make fun of him.

Maybe it was the bitter taste of spite in his mouth or the liquid courage in his veins, but he decided if he was going down, Lance was going down with him.

Taking advantage of their already close proximity, Keith gripped the front of Lance’s shirt, jerking him closer, until Keith’s lips ghosted over the shell of his ear.

_Sometimes you just gotta say fuck it and say exactly what’s on your mind._

“You really wanna know so bad?” Keith whispered, training his breath to trickle down Lance’s neck and indulging in the satisfaction of being close enough to feel him shiver. “It gets me hot when you call me ‘babe.’”

_Wait. Wait, fuck, why did I just say that?_

His boldness wavered, replaced by a cold-sweat as he released Lance’s completely-still frame. Lance’s hands dropped into his lap, his mouth drawn into a thin line with wide eyes that revealed nothing. Keith thanked his lucky stars when he realized the music had probably drowned out what he had said to everyone else’s ears. That didn't stop them from exchanging a look, however.

Keith, resisting the urge to bite his own tongue off so he could never say anything so mortifying again, decided to play it cool.

“What’s wrong, Lance? You can dish it but you can't take it?” Keith forced a smirk.

Lance jolted. “No! I’ve just never heard… Fucking hell, whose turn is it!?”

Lance was transformed from tipsy and having a good time to a ball of nervous energy, scrunching in on himself, and Keith would be proud if he wasn’t so embarrassed. Maybe that was too much. No, that was definitely too much.

“Pidge’s.” Allura pointed out between sips of water, obviously trying to stay on the sober side. Lance didn’t say anything, only fiddled with his thumbs.

“We can stop. I can't think of anything anyway.” She said to everyone, but looked at Lance. Lance immediately reacted, shaking his head no.

“Can I just get a drink? Allura, what you got up your sleeve?” Lance asked.

“Sorry, loves, bar is closed. We still have liquor leftover if you want a shot, though.”

Keith felt-stone cold sober after that round, and he intended to stay that way for the rest of the night. Everyone else enjoyed themselves as they took a shot before returning to their makeshift circle on the ground.

Lance, now relaxed and chipper once more, sat next to Keith once again, even throwing a loose arm around his shoulder. Keith found himself relieved that everything seemed normal again. Lance was forgiving enough to bounce back fast, but Keith knew what he had said was still at the back of his mind. The jury’s still out on whether or not that’s a good thing.

“Hmm, okay…” Pidge tapped a finger to her chin. “What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done…?”

Keith felt his blood run cold as he realized he would be better off never playing another game of 21 Questions in his life.

In a stroke of the best luck and the worst luck, Keith soon realized he wouldn't have to worry about coming up with an answer to this question after all. His frayed thoughts were broken only by the sound of someone saying ‘This.’ Someone very close to his ear. Faster than his tired brain could process it, Lance was kissing him.

Keith’s mouth instinctively parted in surprise, before his open eyes went wide staring at Lance’s closed lids. Millions of questions flooded his mind as the alcohol on Lance’s lips bled into his mouth, but oh God, it was Lance and he couldn’t be fucked to make it stop. Lance was the one running his fingers through his hair and licking at his lips, begging them to open up again and Keith wanted to just pause time and erase everyone else in the room and just-

_No, this is wrong. This isn't what I wanted. Lance has been drinking, he must not be thinking straight._

With every ounce of self-control he owned, he gripped Lance’s shoulders and pushed him away. His lips begged for more contact so fiercely it was painful, but he couldn’t allow it. Keith knew firsthand what it was like to be taken advantage of, and he couldn’t do that to Lance. Never Lance.

Breaking every point of contact between them, Keith skittered back, breathing hard and shallow.

“Lance…” Allura’s voice that held a certain gravity pulled him back to reality, reminding him they weren't as alone as they felt.

Lance knit his brows together with a pout, eyes hazy and shoulders swaying.

_Oh my God. He’s fucking wasted. How did I not notice earlier?_

Suddenly the playfulness and flirtation felt dirty. He should’ve known Lance would be such a lightweight; if only the thought had crossed his mind earlier.

“Keiiiithhhh…” Lance crawled closer.

“Don’t!” Keith shoved him back again. He blamed it on the panic, but maybe he pushed too hard this time.

The clouds in his eyes parted as he glared back at Keith.

“Fine! Fuck you, too!” Nearly tripping over himself, everyone watched in stunned silence as he stomped away, slamming the door behind him.

“Keith, uh, maybe you should…” Hunk didn’t even have to finish his sentence before Keith was on his feet and out the door.

Adrenaline kicked in when Keith stepped into the hallway and didn’t see Lance anywhere. The boy was a runner, that’s for sure. His mind felt like it was splitting in half as he picked a direction at random and ran. Acting on pure instinct and not really sparing any empathy for the other guests in the hotel, he called out to Lance as he stamped down the halls.

He searched their entire floor, finding no sign of Lance, and for a moment he worried he had found himself in a vividly realistic nightmare. He frantically abused the elevator buttons when the elevator wouldn’t come fast enough, as if they were at fault for everything.

Maybe this whole trip had just been a bad dream, and he was going to wake up realizing that he and Lance would really never speak again and he would just lock his doors and play some video games and order a pizza for all three meals just like he always does.

Maybe that would be for the best. So why did the thought make him feel like the elevator walls were closing in? The thought of it all being erased. The thought of going back to that lonely, dark room was making him feel sick. It was supposed to be his sanctuary.  

Then the elevator was open again and he stumbled into the lobby, scanning everything once, twice, three times before realizing the only other place Lance could be was outside. If he wasn’t, then Keith would be out of ideas.

And maybe he would finally wake up.

But it didn’t take long to spot Lance’s jacket, and the figure leaning against the familiar SUV in the middle of the parking lot, arms crossed and gaze to the ground. Keith slowed to a walk as he approached him.

Upon noticing him, Lance’s eyes turned to a biting glare.

“What do _you_ want?”

The hostility felt like a punch to the gut, not used to being on the receiving end. He decided to blame it on the alcohol.

“Lance, you’re drunk. Come back inside and we’ll-”

“Fuck you! I’m not drunk. And even if I was, that doesn’ change the fact that you’re an asshole! So no, I _won’t_ go back inside.”

“How the fuck am I-” Keith bit his tongue. He really didn't want his temper to take over here, so he took a deep breath before trying again. Arguing with an intoxicated person was like arguing with a brick wall, pointless. “Okay, I’m an asshole. But you still need to come back inside and sober up.” With hands in surrender, Keith took a few steps forward, but Lance wasn’t having it.

“Stay away! I already... Just... I can't do this. I know you hate me!” He raised his voice as he hid his face in his hands.

Arguing with a drunk person was pointless. They’re at their most irrational and there is usually no convincing them. However, that doesn’t mean everything they say is dishonest gibberish. In fact, Keith would argue that alcohol tends to bring out people’s true feelings; words they wouldn’t be able to say with their filter on. Arguing was pointless, but his words weren’t unimportant.

“Lance, slow down. What are you talking about?” Keith strained his composure to stay calm.

“I tried… I tried to be your friend, but I just can’t do it… I’m sorry.” Lance’s voice quivered in a way Keith had never heard as he began to sob. He had never heard him so weak, but Keith couldn’t even feel sorry for him between the stabbing pain his words caused.

_I tried to be your friend, but I just can’t._

Keith was sure he was in a nightmare, now, and what’s the point of keeping your composure in a dream?

Keith scoffed, his tone quickly reclaiming its usual vitriol. “And you say _I_ hate _you?_ ”

Lance looked up at him with combative eyes, despite the tears that now soaked them.

“Of course you do! You’re the one that _left!”_ His voice raised loud enough that Keith was sure others could hear. He didn’t care.

“You’re an idiot, you know that!? I didn't just leave for no fucking reason! Maybe you would’ve known that if you had ever bothered to try and find out why, but you didn’t. And now, I understand why.” Keith felt his voice wavering and the threat of tears stinging his eyes. He held back the words that hurt the most so he wouldn’t be pushed over the edge.

 _You don’t even want to be my friend. You never wanted me in your life to begin with_ . _Until the end, you were just taking pity on me._

Sadness flashed to anger as Lance raised his voice. “What!?” Lance pushed his weight off the car, stomping towards Keith with surprisingly steady legs. Now wasn't the best time to notice, but Lance looked up to him slightly now.

“What the hell did you expect me to do, Keith?” It always made Keith slightly uncomfortable when Lance used his real name like that. He usually only pulled it out when things were serious. “Chase after you?”

When confronted with the question, Keith realized he had never really thought about it. Keith was realizing he was a lot more selfish than he wanted to believe, but he was in too deep to stop now. For as selfish as he might be, he was also stubborn.

“I-I don’t know, maybe? I just… I wanted you to do something! But you _didn’t,_ you just forgot about me like everyone else in my life does!” Keith tried to rationalize, but he knew he was flailing. Lance saw right through him even in his drunken state, balling his fists and huffing.

“Actually, I _did_ do something. I waited. I waited every day, and every month, and every year to hear back from you again. _You’re_ the one who ran away.” Emphasizing his words, he stepped closer until Keith could smell the alcohol on his breath again. “Listen, I don’t chase after anyone. If you want to be out of my life, I’ll hold the fucking door on your way out. But every day I was waiting to see your stupid face walk right back in, and you let me down. This decision was yours, so don’t try to pin it on me.”

Lance spoke with such dedicated fervor, and in such an uninhibited manner that Keith almost had to question if he was even drunk. He had to be, though, if he had kissed Keith. He wouldn’t do something like that otherwise, unless, it was supposed to be a stupid joke. Keith didn’t even know what would be more painful at this point.

“You know why I left…” If that kiss was just a cruel joke, then surely he must know.

“...Do I?” Lance’s voice was soft and low now, calmer. “You told me you would never leave. We were always supposed to be together. I think that’s what hurt the most. Imagine just waking up one day and the person you trusted more than anything in the world is just… Gone! Not a warning, not a word, just gone.”

“Lance…” His old friend’s words felt like a stab to the chest. How could he say something like that? “I _do_ know what that’s like…”

Lance jerked back at Keith’s words. Keith knew he felt bad, deep down, but this wasn't the sort of fight where you were willing to backtrack and apologize if you misspoke. This was the type of fight that ends relationships. The last fight you could ever have with someone. The one they missed out on having all those years ago.

“I did it to protect myself…” Keith tried to explain, but Lance cut him off.

“You broke my heart, dude! I lost my best friend and I had to ask myself every day what I did wrong. Why did you-”

“I-I don't know!” Keith lied. “I was a goddamn kid! I didn’t know what I wanted, and…”

_You were all I needed. Every day without you hurt me._

For the first time, Keith realized he might not have been the only one who was suffering. And the tearful melancholy in Lance’s eyes told him he was utterly, completely too late.

“Y’know…” Lance sniffled before taking a step back. “I hated it, but, deep down? I always hoped you would come back one day. But now that you’re here…”

Lance looked at him with a mixture of pity and spite, and Keith felt his stomach tie into knots.

“I wish you had never come back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that’s what I have for you guys this time! I’m sorry, lol. 
> 
> I’ve been getting a few comments and questions about the exact details of the history between Keith and Lance in this fic and I’m happy to say you won’t have to wait much longer! All the details will soon be revealed.
> 
> By the time the next chapter comes out, season 8 will most likely be out! I can’t decide if I’m more anxious or excited, but I’ll see you all again post-season 8! (Hopefully.)

**Author's Note:**

> Comments/kudos are super appreciated~
> 
> Talk to me on [My Tumblr](http://vriskabby.tumblr.com/) or [My Insta!](https://www.instagram.com/vriskabby/)


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